For UK Disability History Month 2024 (14 November to 20 December), we’re highlighting what individuals and the wider built environment are doing to adapt and create more inclusive working environments.
As part of our House of Architecture programme, we’re making long overdue and urgently needed upgrades to our London headquarters at 66 Portland Place to make it more accessible, sustainable and welcoming.
Jane Simpson is an architect, educator and access consultant working as Inclusion Champion with RIBA on House of Architecture. She has over 30 years of experience working in the sector. We caught up with Jane to learn more about the path to becoming an access consultant and her work is helping to influence current projects with RIBA and across the architecture sector, nationally and internationally.
As the Inclusion Champion for House of Architecture, Jane supports RIBA, the design team leading the improvements to 66 Portland Place, RIBA’s Access Consultants Motionspot, and an Access and Inclusion Panel made up of volunteers whose lived experiences are informing all aspects of the programme.
Jane is a chartered architect and registered access consultant on the National Register of Access Consultants (NRAC), and director of her own company, Jane Simpson Access Ltd. She has experience in inclusion, providing advice on a broad range of issues, often clarifying complex aspects of equality legislation. Throughout her career Jane has developed a broad range of expertise, working within a local authority, private practice and planning department.
Jane has been involved in access-related organisations for many years, including the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, the Department for Education, Design Council, Sport England, BSI Group, the National Register of Access Consultants and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Her role as Inclusion Champion emerged from a period spent representing RIBA on the B559 Committee, responsible for, among other things, the British Standard BS8300 for accessible and inclusive environments. Alongside this work, Jane has acted as a member of the UIA Architecture for All group Western Europe Region 1 and is a former member of the CPD, Regulations & Standards, and Architects for Change groups as well being a member of the RIBA Inclusion Group back in 2007.
More recently, Jane has contributed to the development of inclusive design practices and standards for architecture both nationally and internationally. This includes:
- The RIBA Plan of Work Inclusive Design Overlay
- PAS 1899: 2022 Electric vehicles – accessible charging
- BS5879: 2020 Guide to the design of balconies and terraces
- IStructE: Inclusive design for structural engineers
- Building Bulletin 102: Designing for disabled children and children with special educational needs
- Building Bulletin 104: Area guidelines for SEND and alternative provision
- Sport England documents: Accessible and Inclusive Sports Facilities and Active Design – Planning for Health and Wellbeing through Sport and Physical Activity
We asked Jane about why access and inclusion matters to her – and why it should matter to everyone:
How did you make the career shift from architect to access consultant?
I qualified in the early 1990s while working as an architect for Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire. I got involved in Disabled Facilities Grants, assisted the council with their response to the Disability Discrimination Act, sat on the local disability group One Voice and helped write their access standard. I hit the glass ceiling, I was good at what I did and could not get any architectural projects, so an opportunity came up for an access consultant and the rest is history.
What role do you think architects have to play in creating accessible spaces?
Architects are ideally placed; they are a consistent influence with involvement through all the RIBA stages and as designers, they have, and should use their skills to consider inclusivity from the start of a project through to completion. As an architect myself, I always say I have a pragmatic approach and provide solutions to often complex problems, using innovative analytical design skills. This is what an architect does, and they should use their skills to provide accessible, inclusive and equitable environments.
What do you hope to achieve as Inclusion Champion for House of Architecture and the planned improvements to 66 Portland Place?
Having worked with RIBA for over two decades, I am so pleased to be in this role. I’m here to ensure that 66 Portland Place becomes as accessible and inclusive as possible.
When members were once asked what stopped them from designing inclusively, there was an equal split between the client, knowledge, and money. On the first of these - the client, RIBA, are committed to making the building more inclusive. On the second - between myself, Motionspot, and our Access and Inclusion Panel, we have a tremendous amount of relevant knowledge and experience to draw on and lastly, finance. My role will be to support Motionspot, working collaboratively and ensuring answers can be found within affordable costs.
What changes can we look forward to within the fabric of 66 Portland Place to make it more accessible for RIBA colleagues?
There will be changes, but, planned effectively, many of them won’t be immediately obvious. They will, however, make a huge difference to how many people experience the building. This is an ongoing process, and as we enter RIBA Stage 4, more of the details will be ironed out.
Some of the key measures include removing the revolving doors from the main entrance to make it more accessible, the addition of a fully accessible entrance at the side of the building through an exciting new café/brasserie and enlarging lifts that will enable wheelchair users to access all the building’s 28 levels.
What advice do you have for other architects looking to ensure their projects and practices consider those with a disability or other protected characteristics?
Begin by reading the Inclusive Design Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work and make sure the client and design team are aware of it. Start the process early, this will reduce late design changes and provide financial security.
Ensure client approval and commitment by developing an Inclusion Strategy. Make sure the brief covers any inclusion requirements or aspirations the client may have. The next step is to identify an inclusion design lead and inclusion champions, as outlined in the overlay.
In addition to this, identify best practice guidance early on and make sure the whole team are familiar; this would also include any grant conditions. It is also important to consult with users to confirm all aspects have been considered. Following this, ensure that an Inclusive Design Stage Outcome Review is completed and that all team reports include accessibility. Finally: review, review and continue to review designs and changes through all the stages.
Learn more about what Jane Simpson and the rest of the House of Architecture team are doing to make 66 Portland Place an accessible and inclusive place.
