We find, design and deliver homes that aim to provide comfort, improve care and opportunities for therapy, enhance independence and in an ideal world improve quality of life. We consider every detail, from access and circulation, transfers, bathing and how to include an individual within every day domestic activities. The ultimate aim to provide our clients with an environment that supports them and their support network to live the best quality of life possible and where possible to provide opportunities to improve.
But there is a stark reality that sits alongside what we can achieve.
No matter how beautifully an adapted home functions, many of those freedoms become harder to hold onto the moment someone leaves their home.
Our aim is to reduce the effort a person must spend on everyday tasks at home so they have more energy for work, family time or the things they enjoy. Yet the world beyond their home can still ask a lot of the individual.
Working in accessible design means you notice barriers everywhere. Once you see them, you cannot unsee them. And once you understand the impact they have, you cannot ignore them.
The barriers people never see
Most able bodied people step outside without needing to consider the environment they are about to enter. For many of the people we support, simply preparing to leave the house can take an extended amount of time. Medication, equipment, catheters, stoma care, transfers, clothing, planning accessible toilets along a route, by the time they are ready, a significant amount of energy has already been spent.
Then the physical barriers begin.
• pavements without drop kerbs
• cars parked across foot paths
• narrow doorways and entrances
• accessible routes hidden out of sight or access through trades entrances or bin stores
• parks with gates too narrow for a wheelchair or powered attachment
• public transport that is difficult or impossible to use
These are not minor inconveniences. For many people, they dictate where they can go and how often.
We often hear clients say they stick to places they already know are manageable because trying somewhere new can feel uncertain. One parent explained that their child could not access the local park because the entrance gate was too narrow. The family ended up split, one parent outside the fence and the other inside with the siblings. Small design decisions can have big consequences.
This is everyday life for far too many people.
How it impacts confidence, independence and family life
We design homes to give people back a sense of control. But independence is fragile. When the external environment regularly puts up barriers, confidence can erode. Plans become limited. Some days out simply don’t happen.
It is difficult for any family to enjoy time together when they are unsure whether they will be able to enter a building, use a toilet or move around safely. These things should be a given, not a challenge.
A home can be accessible. A life can still be inaccessible.
Inside someone’s home, we can design for comfort, ease and quality of care. We can incorporate future-proofing. We can plan for the long term or the unknown.
But we cannot redesign the world outside alone.
That gap, between an accessible home and an inaccessible wider environment, is one major frustration our clients face every day.
Clients often describe their home as a “bubble”. A safe, predictable space where life works. But outside that bubble, everything becomes less certain. I supported someone with a spinal injury who was house bound in their previous accommodation as the lift frequently broke down leaving them stranded on the fourth floor.
Where the community breaks down and where it works
Some parts of the public realm fall short, but there are encouraging examples too.
As one of the worlds oldest pieces of infrastructure, London underground faces challenges to improve and upgrade facilities, but even they have incorporated step free, level platforms, and improved access across an increasing number of stations. This not only supports wheelchair users but improves access for travellers with luggage, pushchairs and anyone who needs a step free route. There is still a long way to go, but when accessibility is done well, it benefits everyone.
The challenge is consistency. Building stock is old, opportunities to improve access may be limited, challenging or costly. Neighbouring local authorities or individual businesses may have completely different approaches. And without clear accountability, progress can be slow and uneven.
Innovation can help, but only if the environment does too
Technology is beginning to support people in new ways. I recently saw a DMU graduate developing tools to help disabled people navigate accessibility in real time, an idea with huge potential.
Apps and mapping tools can reduce uncertainty. They can increase confidence. But technology cannot fix physical barriers. It cannot widen a gate or create a drop kerb.
The fundamentals still matter.
Why this matters to me
I see how much potential people have and how often it is the environment that holds them back, not their abilities. I see families adjusting their lives around obstacles that could be solved with small, thoughtful changes.
When the wider community matches the standard of an adapted home, everything improves. People feel welcome. Work becomes possible. Social lives open up. True independence becomes achievable.
What needs to change
Responsibility is shared. Councils, planners, developers, architects, businesses, everyone has a part to play. Accessibility is not a “nice to have”. Any one of us could need it tomorrow.
A shift in attitude would make a huge difference. If I could redesign one thing overnight, it would be thresholds. Level or step free access as the default could transform daily life for so many people.
A final thought
At PLG, we can influence the environment in the home. We can create spaces that take away strain, restore independence and make life more manageable.
But if we want people to live fully, feel connected and take part in their communities, we need to look beyond the front door.
An accessible home matters.
An accessible world matters just as much.
