The why is as important as the what in the design of inclusive homes

Maybe your house-hunting has been influenced by this experience. My own last two moves ruled out places with internal steps and cubicle loos, as I visualised how to host disabled friends and family at home.

The English Housing Survey gives us one view of the current number of accessible homes. The latest figure (from 2020) is just 9%. But those homes only offer four features: level access to the main entrance, a flush threshold, sufficiently wide doorways and circulation space, and a WC at entrance level. The idea is that these four features deem them to be ‘visitable’ by a range of people, including wheelchair users.

However, the entrance-level WC they mention need only offer the most basic space and layout to qualify. In fact, so limited is the minimum requirement, that a wheelchair user would not be able to use it with any degree of privacy.

“Rather than simply doing what regulations require, useful though that is, housing designers can improve their developments by thoughtful consideration of how different people will use and engage with a home”

So despite the ‘visitable’ label, there’s no guarantee of accommodating a wide range of people for any meaningful length of time. That’s why Habinteg and a growing number of others want the Building Regulations M4(2) Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings standard to become the default for all new homes. Among other things, the WC requirement in M4(2) offers better space, plus adaptability.

Accessibly designed places are, by their nature, more inclusive, but Part M of the Building Regulations focuses on factors that relate to physical mobility. What about other types of impairment? Rather than simply doing what regulations require, useful though that is, housing designers can improve their developments by thoughtful consideration of how different people will use and engage with a home.

The best results happen when teams understand why an access feature is required, not just what it is. In understanding the needs of our residents and getting our builders and site managers on board with the rationale and vision, we can resist compromises that could limit inclusivity.

Finding ways to understand the lived experience of a wide range of people is essential in setting out to create an inclusive development of any scale. Making sure that community engagement is inclusive in itself is a vital starting point. Reaching people in a way that works for them enables developers to gather rich input reflecting the needs of different groups.

Due to engagement like this, Habinteg pays close attention to connectivity to accessible shops and transport as well as the home itself. An accessible home can still be an isolating place to live without access to the community.

“Finding ways to understand the lived experience of a wide range of people is essential in setting out to create an inclusive development of any scale”

Working with occupational therapists (OTs) is another brilliant way to ensure your project considers how design impacts daily life for disabled and older people. The detailed insight that they offer can elevate the whole approach. From consideration of layouts, to the specification of fixtures and fittings, and design choices on lighting and visual contrast, a housing OT can help you avoid common design barriers for a more inclusive result.

Habinteg’s Inclusive Housing Design Guide, published in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects, was written and peer-reviewed by housing OTs. It is a great resource for any development team seeking to create the best inclusive homes. It goes beyond building regulations to offer guidance that will maximise usability, comfort and safety for a wide range of people, including people with sensory, cognitive and neurodiverse conditions. Most usefully, it shares insights and case studies to support why certain features are recommended.

Finally, we should all be challenging the assumption that accessible design has to be clinical in nature and expensive to provide. When designed in from the start, the majority of access features are delivered within the natural form of the build. If retrofit is needed to meet an individual household’s requirements, there is no need for every grab rail to give a hospital feel.

By planning from the outset, taking time to understanding your customers’ needs and tapping into the latest guidance and design innovations, there’s every opportunity to create brilliant, modern homes and neighbourhoods that are inclusive and aesthetically appealing without busting your budget.

Christina McGill, director of social impact and external affairs, Habinteg

Christina McGill will be speaking at Housing 2025. Hear from her during the session on ‘Designing accessible and inclusive housing’ at 10.45am on Tuesday 24 June