As you can probably tell from the title of my site, I am passionate about inclusive design!
I started writing my blog primarily to document our own house alterations project, following our journey as we design and carry out the adaptations needed to make our house accessible for our little girl, and inclusive for our whole family.
my little superheros
I’m also interested in exploring other areas of inclusive and accessible design (places & spaces, products & tips), sustainable design and sometimes I’ll just be sharing some aspects (and challenges) of our everyday family life that may (or may not!) be of interest to anyone else!
In my work as an architect I’ve always been aware of how important it is to consider accessibility in the design process. However, becoming a mum to a daughter with limited mobility, has given me a new perspective on the need for more thoughtful inclusive design, and the need for greater awareness about the choices we have available to us about providing flexibility for our future needs. I’ve become far more aware of gaps in the current offering, particularly in home design, and areas where I think there’s potential for the design & building industry to make a real difference and hopefully stimulate some positive accessible change!
Inclusive design is design for everyone, it’s not only about wheelchair turning circles, grab rails or stair lifts. It’s also about making life easier for parents with babies in prams, for crawlers, bum shufflers, toddlers, kids with bikes and scooters, people with visual or hearing impairments, people carrying cases, bringing in the weekly shop or moving furniture…..
Of course everyone’s needs are different (disabled or not), so good design should allow for those differences, provide alternatives, be flexible, comfortable and be welcoming for friends and family whose needs may be different to your own.
There’s no reason why an accessible house shouldn’t be an amazing, stylish and beautiful home!
In fact…. how can a home be amazing if it’s not inclusive!?