Building for Everyone: How Age-Inclusive and Accessible Design Shapes Our Communities

We knew from the start that age-inclusivity would be central to our mission in developing homes based on good values and people-focussed design. We had long been engaged in discussions around making Lifetime Homes as standard for all our developments, and our vision was to build mixed-age rental communities where people could live comfortably, whether they were 8 months or 80 years old.

Initially, our thoughts around accessible homes were largely focused on the needs of older adults, ensuring apartments could be adaptable so they could age in place in a vibrant community. However, about a year ago, something shifted my perspective profoundly.

On a train journey, I tuned into an episode of BBC Radio 4’s Money Box. The programme discussed a report by the London School of Economics for Habinteg, highlighting the acute shortage of wheelchair-accessible homes in the UK. The story that struck me most was of a wheelchair user with a young family who spoke candidly about the daily struggles she faced in a home that was only partially accessible. The report was a stark reminder of how the lack of accessible housing doesn't just inconvenience individuals, it fundamentally alters their ability to live fulfilling lives.

One statistic from the program stayed with me: wheelchair users living in appropriately designed homes are four times more likely to gain employment. Another important observation was that accessible homes enable wheelchair users to fully participate in family life—whether that means reading bedtime stories to their children or preparing meals for loved ones. The conversation was a revelation, opening my eyes to the broader implications of accessible housing on people's lives and society at large.

I shared the link to the episode with Mike, my co-founder, and we made the decision to commit to incorporating at least 10% M4(3) wheelchair-accessible homes in all our developments. We also recognised the importance of consulting directly with people who have lived experience of disability, ensuring their opinions are at the forefront of our design process.

Our first Picture This community is being delivered with our joint venture partner Progressive Living. Due to be onsite by summer 2025, the development comprises 245 apartments in Stockport town centre. We have engaged with wheelchairs users when considering where apartments should be spread across the building, how laundry is carried out, how community growing spaces can be best accessed and the design of our mail room. We are now starting to look at design adaptations that can be used throughout the building, that also meet the needs of a variety of users. Our exploration into designing for neurodiversity is proving equally interesting!

Designing wheelchair-accessible homes isn't just about meeting regulatory requirements, it's about understanding the challenges people face in their own homes and trying to find solutions at the design stage. In fact, most of the adaptations we have made have improved the scheme as a whole.

We believe taking a little more time to explore how all new homes can be truly accessible (or adaptable) could have a profound impact, not only on the cost of care and unemployment, but more importantly, on people’s lives and wellbeing.

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We are delighted that Shannon Conway, Co-Founder of Picture This, joins us in next week’s HAPPI Hour webinar on accessibility in housing on Tuesday 10th September 2024 from 4pm – 5pm. Along with the Housing LIN, Picture This are a member of the Greater Manchester Housing, Planning Ageing Group.

During Accessible Homes Week, with the government soon releasing the long-awaited Part M technical consultation and committing to 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, this session will explore the work of the HoME Coalition and the UK's accessible housing shortfall. We'll also highlight the ongoing campaign to improve accessibility standards in Building Regulations. Hear from Shannon on why accessibility is vital to Picture This and its impact on the Stockport, Greater Manchester development they are bringing to the market with their JV partner Progressive Living. Learn more here.

If you found this of interest, the Housing LIN curates a dedicated page on its Design Hub on designing Lifetime Homes standards, the HAPPI design principles and for inclusion.