April 2014

Inclusive Design – a lasting Olympic and Paralympic Legacy 

Welcome to the Built Environment Professional Education Project (BEPE) blog.  This first blog talks about how the project came about and why it’s important.  

What is BEPE?
The Built Environment Professional Education Project - BEPE - was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is part of the 10 year project to realise a lasting Olympic and Paralympic legacy.  

The London 2012 Games are considered to be the most accessible Games ever.  If you went to the park during 2012 you will have experienced the benefits of inclusive design – all the venues and the park itself were designed to include everyone.  This created a unique accessible experience for many disabled and older people and provided some amazing memories for all of us.  

The inclusive design process used by London 2012 is not however, the norm in all development projects - a great amount of effort had to be put in to ensure accessibility was not forgotten.  

When reflecting on what made the Games different, the Paralympic Legacy Advisory Group (see http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/odi-projects/2012-legacy.php ) considered that education was the key to making inclusive design business as usual in all future development projects.  

Currently architecture, planning, surveying and engineering students spend very little time studying inclusive design.  In some courses it is optional, in others non existent, and where it is taught the time taken to teach it is often minimal.  BEPE aims to change this by giving architects, designers, planners, engineers and surveyors the opportunity to acquire inclusive design skills.

Why the Games were different
Determined to go beyond the minimum regulatory standards and provide a truly inclusive experience, a ‘Games for Everyone’ was achieved by meeting the highest standards of accessible and inclusive design in all the venues and all areas of the park (see The London Story conference http://bit.ly/1b82x1G).

A lot of effort went into ensuring that the buildings were designed to be inclusive from the outset.  The Olympic Delivery Authority’s Inclusive Design Strategy and Standards set out a robust inclusive design process that all designers had to follow.  For example the aim of a 1 in 60 gradient across the park to ease access to venues and facilities was the standard set by the Olympic Delivery Authority at the beginning of the project (see http://bit.ly/1feeemF). As a result, and despite the abundant changes in level needed to cross rivers, canals, railway lines and roads, access throughout the Olympic Park and to all the venues is easy and comfortable for everyone. 

This benefited not only spectators and athletes during the Games, but this high standard is being sustained.  Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - a unique model of best practice - is becoming one of the most accessible new parks in the UK for all visitors (see www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/our-story/transforming-east-london/accessibility ).  

The process used to achieve this level of inclusion is now stimulating a change in the education and training of architects, designers, planners and other built environment professionals.  How we acquire the skills and knowledge to deliver inclusive buildings, places and spaces is being challenged.  

Education – the catalyst for change
The BEPE project is about education - giving built environment professionals the knowledge, skills and attitude to implement schemes that deliver inclusive buildings, places and spaces.  

The aim is to equip built environment professionals from the outset of their education with: 
•	a thorough knowledge of best practice technical access standards and relevant legislation
•	the skills and ability to apply the principles of inclusive design to their projects
•	and crucially an understanding of how disabled and older people and families with small children experience and use all aspects of the built environment.  

Working with built environment professional institutions 
The BEPE project objective is 
‘To embed inclusive design as a core part of the required curriculum in the education of built environment professionals with student assessments and Assessments of Professional Competence that reflect this.’

This means making inclusive design a mandatory part of the core curriculum for people studying any of the built environment professions, and making sure that routes to professional membership and any post qualification training courses incorporate assessments of competence in inclusive design.  

The key built environment professional institutions, including the Royal Institute for British Architects, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Civil Engineers and the British Institute of Facilities Management, have agreed to champion the project within their profession and have provided supportive statements (see http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/odi-projects/2012-legacy.php).  They are currently considering how to embed inclusive design into their education reviews.  

How can you help?
You can help to drive forward the change within your profession by: 
•	encouraging your professional institution to champion inclusive design
•	supporting any proposed changes to criteria for accredited courses and to assessments of professional competence
•	improving your own knowledge and skills in inclusive design
•	supporting existing and promoting new inclusive design courses
•	gathering and promoting examples of good practice within your profession
•	writing articles in your professional journals (see RICS Building Control Journal April 2014 edition http://www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/journals/building-control-journal/building-control-journal-april-may-2014/).  

For Further Information on the BEPE Project contact:
Julie Fleck MRTPI OBE
BEPE Project Lead
Email: julie.fleck@dwp.gsi.gov.uk 

Twitter: @inspiredby2012 or @ODIgovuk