Guidance

Accessible Britain Challenge: toolkits on creating inclusive communities for disabled people

Updated 16 January 2015

This guidance was withdrawn on

The Accessible Britain Challenge ended in March 2015. The Disability Confident scheme provides support and guidance on recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

The Accessible Britain Challenge ended in March 2015. The Disability Confident scheme provides support and guidance on recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

Disabled people face barriers in their everyday lives that prevent them from being full and active members of their community.

Through the Accessible Britain Challenge we want to encourage communities to become more inclusive and accessible.

Use these toolkits to help remove barriers that prevent disabled people being full and active participants in their community.

Buildings and spaces

Find out about the latest thinking on inclusive design for buildings and outdoor spaces. The Design Council’s Inclusive Design Hub covers all phases of development including planning, design and construction and the management of those buildings and places.

Find advice on creating inclusive outdoor play areas and assessing installed play areas. PiPA’s Inclusive Play website is for local authorities, landscape architects, planners and families with disabled children.

Read UEFA’s and the Centre for Access to Football in Europe’s (CAFE) good practice guide for accessible football stadiums. The guide gives practical, clear solutions to help football clubs, national associations and stadium managers provide grounds that are accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.

Commissioning services

Get advice on working in partnership with disabled people’s user-led organisations (DPULOs) to commission services that are inclusive and accessible for disabled people. The South East Network of Disabled People’s Organisation’s Confident commissioning report shows how local authorities are successfully commissioning DPULOs to provide services.

Communications

Find out how to overcome the main communication barriers that many people experience in sport and physical activity. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) has produced guidance on inclusive communications Access for All.

Find out how to develop communications that include, accurately portray, and are accessible to disabled people. The government’s Office for Disability Issues has produced guidance on inclusive communications.

Communities

Read about making communities more inclusive for disabled people and people with a health condition. Disability Rights UK has published research and guidance for disabled people’s organisations and local authorities about inclusive communities.

Read the the Guide Dogs UK’s guidance on making your community more accessible for people who use guide dogs. This includes information about making streets accessible and making buses accessible to blind and partially sighted people. My Guide has information to support people with sight loss as they get out and about.

Assistance Dogs (UK) is a coalition of assistance dog organisations that encourages:

  • the exchange of ideas and best practice amongst its members
  • raising awareness amongst the general public
  • promoting behavioral and legislative changes to ensure the freedom, independence and rights of its clients

Please visit their website – www.assistancedogs.org.uk/faqs – for further information on the work that they do to make communities more accessible and inclusive for the users of assistance dogs.

Data about disability

Find out how to collect and use data to help improve the lives of disabled people. The Using disability data and research toolkit:

  • explains how to find and use existing data
  • provides a basic guide to conducting social research to obtain data that’s not available elsewhere

Education

Education reforms for children and young people with special educational needs became law on Monday 1 September 2014. These provide simpler, improved and consistent help for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Read the guidance on the legislation relating to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Find out about creating inclusive and accessible environments in colleges and universities. The Equality Challenge Unit has published a range of guidance from recruiting disabled students to helping them move into employment.

Employing people

Find out how to develop more inclusive and accessible apprenticeships. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education’s apprenticeship toolkit for employers provides practical information, support and examples of employers who have benefited from hiring disabled apprentices.

Get a range of free guides and information about increasing the work opportunities for people with long-term health conditions and disabilities from Disability Dynamics.

Get help recruiting and supporting disabled people in work. Employing disabled people and people with health conditions includes help and advice from government and other organisations.

More about the Accessible Britain Challenge

Read more information about creating inclusive communities for disabled people. This includes information about the government’s disability strategy and complying with the Equality Act 2010.

Read about examples of local good practice to help disabled people become full and active participants in their community.