Based in St Austell, Cornwall, Enable Accessibility CIC helps people with disabilities to enjoy greater freedom and access. We speak to the firm’s Founder, Jamie Hanlon, as it is rewarded with such a respected award.
Established by Jamie Hanlon, Enable Accessibility CIC hires accessibility equipment and offers consultation and design services through its experienced and qualified experts.
“Through design, I want to make a difference,” Jamie explains. “To fit around your life and what you need. Good design is a powerful way to improve the quality of life in your home and business.”
Jamie is highly qualified and experienced in his work as an interior design specialist and inclusivity and access design consultant. He has more than 15 years of residential property experience, six years of commercial property experience, and over six years’ of experience as an access audit consultant.
Having lived with hearing impairment for more than 30 years and having been involved with a wide range of charities supporting people with disabilities and different needs, Jamie can readily understand the needs of a wide range of people and create designs to cater for their requirements.
“My passion is focused on helping to create a space that is unique to your needs, aesthetically pleasing but also functional, whilst ensuring equal access for all,” he enthuses. “I excel at looking at commercial buildings, office spaces, holiday accommodation, hotels, open spaces, and homes, always thinking about how I can make them more inclusive to fit the needs of someone with accessibility issues whilst enhancing the aesthetic appeal and functionality.”
Enable Accessibility is committed to providing a unique blend of disability awareness, legal knowledge, and specialist interior design ‘know-how’, working with large and small businesses, the public sector, local government, charities and voluntary organisations, and private homeowners too.
The term ‘inclusive design’ is defined by the British Standards Institute (BSI, BS8300) as “the design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible – without the need for special adaption or specialised design.” It furthers on this definition by saying that it is not simply a stage that can be added in the design process, and it is not solely about designing products for a specific capability loss.
“Accessibility isn’t easy to define, as it depends on each person’s specific needs,” Jamie elaborates. “Society is made up of individuals, and inclusive design can bring forth interesting perspectives – ultimately changing our horizons and the landscape around us.”
In order to fit a home or work building around a person’s requirements, Enable Accessibility will first conduct an audit to cover all elements and very much following the ‘journey’ of the individual with a disability. This addresses things such as approach to a building and car parking, entrances, receptions, and corridors. This can also deliver for lifts and stairs, internal doors, toilets, signage, communication, and escape routes or fire exits.
As part of the audit service, Jamie and the Enable Accessibility team will help building owners to understand the term ‘reasonable adjustment’ and will provide them with practical assistance and practical recommendations for improvement based on current regulations and advice.
Once this is completed and the findings discussed, a design consultant will be able to assist in ensuring that the project delivers its contractual obligations.
“I want you to look around a building and consider, for a brief moment, what steps have been taken during its design and build to allow the structure to be accessible and usable by ‘as many people as possible,’” Jamie states. “Can you also honestly say that if a friend or colleague had a life-changing incident, would they still be able to visit you?”
In the UK, it is thought that some seven million people of working age have a disability, which all adds up to an awful lot of spending power. This is known as the “purple pound” and is reckoned to be worth around £274bn to the economy. If you make your business more inclusive, you will make more money. It really is that simple.
Recently, Enable Accessibility was recognised in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2022 and rewarded for its hard work with the title of Best Accessibility Inclusive Design Company 2022. This prestigious accolade is a testament to the dedication and commitment of Jamie and the whole team as they work towards a more inclusive society.
For business enquiries, contact Jamie Hanlon from Enable Accessibility CIC via email – [email protected] or on their website – www.enableaccessibility.org.uk
