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Access audits and reviews

Our disability access review will help your venue welcome and engage visitors of all ages and abilities. We use our access chain survey to identify barriers to access and options for resolving them.

Our reviews help ensure that public spaces are welcoming to people of all ages and disabilities. We have over twenty years' experience reviewing sites, from underground tunnels to treetop canopies, heritage to contemporary and small to large scale. We can look at a specific issue like visitor information, or all aspects of site accessibility.

Our audits and reviews always consider accessibility together with equality of experience. We use the Sensory Trust's Access Chain, a tool we developed to ensure that access plans address all part of the visitor experience, from a decision to visit, to arrival and parking, use of information and enjoyment of the place itself, and leaving for home.

Am I legally required to have an access audit?

While it is not a specific legal requirement, it will help you to fulfil your responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.

Why do an access audit?

An audit or review is an important first step for anyone planning a new venue or making improvements to an existing one. It will help identify priorities for site improvement works, from easy low-cost fixes to more substantial changes. A review can support funding bids and development plans and provide material for visitor information.

Our access reviews will:

  • Identify barriers to access and recommend actions to remove, adapt or avoid them.
  • Recommend ways to enhance and diversify the visitor experience.
  • Prioritise low-cost improvements that can be made easily and quickly, as well as more significant capital works.
  • Help you avoid costly retrofits and remedial works.
  • Highlight what you are already doing well so that staff and visitors are aware of your commitment and what it means in practice.

What we offer

Site review: This involves one or two days of site survey, depending on the size and complexity of your venue, and gathering insights from you to better understand the barriers impacting visitors. Our review focuses on identifying barriers to access in relation to the visitor experience and making recommendations for improvements.

We can look at your whole venue or address a specific issue, such as visitor information. All access reviews are followed by a report summarising our recommendations.

Desk review: This review of designs and plans is often associated with new project development. We can comment on designs at any stage from concept to detailed design and provide commentary for funding and design documents.

This involves us reviewing relevant documents and plans and addressing inclusive design and accessibility aspects through an online discussion with key members of the design or development team.

How much does a disability access review cost?

The cost of a site review varies according to site location and complexity but most of our commissions range between £3,000 and £6,000.

The cost of a desk review depends on the complexity and scale of the project but typically ranges from £750 to £2,500.

Contact us to outline your requirements and we will be pleased to explore how we can best help you.

Examples of our access reviews

Eden Project

Eden Project is an internationally renowned visitor attraction attracting millions of visitors from around the world. Working together since its opening in 2001, we are delighted to have helped Eden receive national Awards for accessibility in recognition of a sustained commitment to enhancing access. From big to small scale, wheelchair-accessible buses to water bowls for assistance dogs, the venue continues to work hard to enhance its welcome to visitors of all ages and disabilities.

Eden Project in Cornwall
Parks, woods and nature reserves

Our reviews often take us to public parks and gardens, nature reserves, woods and countryside walks where there is often a need to balance access improvements with nature conservation. We draw on our experience of landscape design and management to recommend pragmatic and effective ways of removing and mitigating barriers to access, and enhancing the experience for the widest range of people. Reviews include the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, East Devon AONB, National Trust trails in East Devon and Godolphin House, Cornwall, and Croyland Gardens, Wellingborough.

Museums and heritage sites

Our reviews of historic sites range from small museums to large-scale landscapes. It is important to balance access improvements with heritage conservation and this draws on our skills in site and information design and visitor management. We have worked with landscape projects, such as Luxulyan Valley World Heritage Site and Tintagel in Cornwall. Museums include Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum in Cornwall, Brunel Museum in London and Crich Tramway Village and Barrow Hill Roundhouse Museum in Derbyshire.

Two people have their backs to the camera looking at a clay drier at Wheal Martyn

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