I recently read an article written by Wayne Roberts about the Canadian Urban Institute's new report entitled ‘Repositioning Age-Friendly Communities: Opportunities to Take AFC Mainstream’ that talks about a radical shake-up in the way cities are planned. It is urging 'universal design' that the disabled community in Canada have been arguing so long for, along with 'inclusive design'.

  But here in the UK, sadly we seem to be moving backwards! The Government is about to open up a building minefield where disabled people, senior citizens and those less able to look after themselves will lose out - yet again! The Government are putting out to consultation a document that proposes doing away with certain controls. It will leave architects, planners, designers and Approved Building Inspectors to do their 'own thing'. This leaves the disabled and older communities with no counter action.

  Disabled people must stand up for themselves and respond to the consultation document now, otherwise the built environment will become an even greater no go area than it currently is. At least since the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the built environment seemed to have made some improvements for the better but for how long, if the Government gets its way, especially after the introduction of the Equality Act 2010 where disability has taken a back seat?

  Architects and designers should (and must) plan and build for everyone, not for their own specific tastes but for access for the whole community. It is not difficult to 'design in' Approved Document M and BS 8300 standards into their designs if they try. Let's hope that the legislation changes proposed by Government ,if accepted through the consultation process, will be for the better, but somehow that is doubtful.