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STOP PRESS!

Councils urged to maintain quality in housing schemes Local authorities are being encouraged to assess the design quality of new housing schemes against the Building for Life standard. The standard was recently endorsed by the Government when it was included in its updated annual monitoring report guidance for local and regional planning authorities. The 20 criteria that make up the Building for Life standard relate to the following design features:

• environment and community Considerations relating to the inclusiveness of different features are built into each category.
A full list of the standards – which are promoted jointly by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Home Builders Federation
– is available on the Building for Life website
www.buildingforlife.org/buildingforlife.aspx?contentitemid=384&aspectid=15
It is hoped that meeting the standards will help local authorities to meet housing quality aspirations in Planning Policy Statement 3. CABE says that the standards should help to reinforce that quality is just as important as speed and volume. Visit CABE’s website for more details www.cabe.org.uk/defasult.aspx?contentitemid=2738

Level access at Number 10
The Government has confirmed that it is currently considering how to provide level access via the front entrance at Number 10 Downing Street, following a petition by disabled people on the Downing Street website. No timescale for the proposals is yet available, but the announcement has delighted campaigners. David Burdus, an access consultant, has been campaigning on the issue for 13 years. He said: ‘I hope it gets through the planning process; it is the highest profile front door in the land and sends a powerful message. Could I be the first one to use it?’
The e-petition response is available on the Number 10 website
www.number10.gov.uk/Page16552

Guidance on common parts of residential buildings
The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has published a series of factsheets about access-related amendments to common parts of residential buildings. They are designed to help landlords and tenants understand the points to bear in mind when deciding what changes to make. The factsheets tackle pertinent issues such as:

The guidance also signposts readers onto sources of further information, including both written guidance as well as organisations that can provide support and advice. Download the factsheets from ODI’s website

www.officefordisability.gov.uk/resources/common-parts.asp

September 17, 2008 10:25 AM

Foundations to take home improvements for older and disabled people to next level

 

September 17, 2008 10:15 AM

Advise CABE on inclusive design

need interested committed people to advise us on how to make spaces and places accessible for all of us.
Click here for information and application form. (72KB PDF*)

 

August 20, 2008 15:45 AM

Disabled Children and Housing - Campaign briefing from the "Every Disabled Child Matters" campaign.
Supported by evidence from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) is the campaign to get rights and justice for disabled children. Suitable housing is fundamental to children's well-being and outcomes, yet a recent Communities and Local Government report shows families with disabled children are more likely than other families to be living in bad housing.

Disabled children are a new priority for government, as set out in 'Aiming High for Disabled Children: Better Support for Families', which delivers a £430 million service transformation programme over the next three years. However, 'Aiming High' focuses on health and care services, and housing is historically a neglected issue in the policy debate on disabled children.

Disabled children and housing (135KB PDF*)

JRF - Housing and disabled children

 

August 20, 2008 11:35 AM

Don't Stop Me Now: Preparing for an ageing population (HTML format)

This report looks at the challenges and opportunities facing England as its population gets older. It aims to help local public services adapt to the needs of an older and more diverse society and identifies solutions that can be implemented quickly. 

New rights to give disabled travellers a better journey

Transport Minister Rosie Winterton, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority were at London City Airport today to outline measures coming into force this month giving up to 15 million disabled people and those with limited mobility new rights when travelling through airports in Europe.

Disability Discrimination Act: Rail services - Consultation response summary

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2006/rsdp/codeofpracticeonconsultation

FROM 1 DECEMBER 2008 PROPERTIES FOR SALE WILL HAVE TO BE MARKETED WITH INFORMATION, NOW BRANDED AS THE 'HOME REPORT'

This is a pack of three documents: a Single Survey, an Energy Report and a Property Questionnaire. The Single Survey contains: an assessment by a surveyor of the condition of the home, a valuation and an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.

Follow this link for more information; http://www.homereportscotland.gov.uk/home.htm

Extending Inclusion:
Access for disabled children and young people to extended schools and children's centres - A development manual

Code for Sustainable Homes: Technical guide - April 2008

The Independent Living Strategy

An HQN briefing paper prepared by Joanna Jeffery and Richard Seager (164KBpdf*)

Funding to make homes suitable for independent living

The Government is encouraging local authorities to bid for £80 million of funding to build extra care housing. Extra care housing will make it easier for older people and people with long-term conditions to live in a home of their own.

Follow this link for details;

www.gnn.gov.uk/imagelibrary/detail.asp?MediaDetailsID=235405&HUserID=878,793,889,851,772,866,868,845,786,674,677,767,684,762,718,674,708,683,706,718,674

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