Disability Access Certificate at LeeMcCullough

Project in brief
For the majority of buildings where construction has commenced since 1st January 2010, the Building Regulations stipulate that a Disability Access Certificate must be obtained prior to the building being 'opened, operated or occupied'.

The introduction of the Disability Access Certificate has lead to some confusion for building professionals. Our Associate Richard McCrae has recently completed the Diploma in Fire Safety Practice at Trinity College, his studies included detailed consideration of how disabled persons access, use and most importantly 'exit' buildings. As a result and as a compliment to our Fire Safety Certificate application process, we can now provide a Disability Access Certificate compliance report (and drawing) to show compliance with Part M of the building Regulations.

The Disability Access Certificate is normally applied for in parallel with the Fire Safety Certificate application. This is considered 'good practice' as the Disability Access Certificate shows compliance with Part M of the Building Regulations (which deals with how disabled persons access and use buildings).

Egress of disabled persons from a building during a fire situation is a requirement of Part B of these regulations and therefore must be considered in the Fire Safety Certificate, therefore the two applications are now often linked.

With an estimated 10%* of the population potentially less abled (e.g. the elderly, pregnant women, the blind, deaf, wheelchair users, etc,) provision of satisfactory access for them is an essential part of building design.

With the new Part M generally taking affect from 1st January 2012, this process will become more complex. Traditionally in design we only consider the average person, but designing to the concept of Universal Design (i.e. inclusive of all, even those with a disability) makes buildings and environments more accessible and safer for us all.

Some advantages of Universal Design include economy - getting it right first time; aesthetics - no later unsightly changes; safety - we can all be disabled in an emergency situation, especially fire; reduced litigation - trips and hazards are eliminated at design stage.

When designing roads and access routes we at Lee McCullough utilise 3-D site development software to ensure gentle gradients etc. are incorporated economically into our designs. In projects involving new housing we strongly recommend the use of the 'Life Time home' guidance so homes are easily adaptable (should that requirement arise). For buildings in general we design to the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations and the recommendations contained in NDA's 'Buildings for Everyone' , this ensures that buildings are easily accessible and usable by all and compliant with legislation.

Disability Access Certificates are now a legal requirement and we, at LeeMcCullough can assist you to meet that requirement.

For the majority of buildings where construction has commenced since 1st January 2010, the Building Regulations stipulate that a Disability Access Certificate must be obtained prior to the building being 'opened, operated or occupied'.

The introduction of the Disability Access Certificate has lead to some confusion for building professionals. Our Associate Richard McCrae has recently completed the Diploma in Fire Safety Practice at Trinity College, his studies included detailed consideration of how disabled persons access, use and most importantly 'exit' buildings. As a result and as a compliment to our Fire Safety Certificate application process, we can now provide a Disability Access Certificate compliance report (and drawing) to show compliance with Part M of the building Regulations.

The Disability Access Certificate is normally applied for in parallel with the Fire Safety Certificate application. This is considered 'good practice' as the Disability Access Certificate shows compliance with Part M of the Building Regulations (which deals with how disabled persons access and use buildings).

Egress of disabled persons from a building during a fire situation is a requirement of Part B of these regulations and therefore must be considered in the Fire Safety Certificate, therefore the two applications are now often linked.

With an estimated 10%* of the population potentially less abled (e.g. the elderly, pregnant women, the blind, deaf, wheelchair users, etc,) provision of satisfactory access for them is an essential part of building design.