Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance - Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Inclusive Design
The city council embraces the Disability Rights Commission’s underlying principles of
inclusive design:
• Fair and equal access for all
• Allocation of appropriate space
• Ensuring ease of use, comprehension and understanding
• Ensuring that services can be used with the minimum of stress, physical
strength and effort
• Achieving safe, comfortable and healthy environments
Accessibility is about achieving inclusive environments. The government is
committed to achieving “thriving, inclusive and sustainable communities in all
regions” (ODPM Mission Statement 2003).
There are at least 10 million disabled people in the UK (at least 5.5% of the
population). In <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent, 9.6% of the local population declared themselves
disabled in the 2001 census. Over the next 40 years, the number of people over 65
will rise at a greater rate than the population. As older people are more likely to
develop disabilities, it is inevitable that the proportion of disabled people will increase
significantly.
Inclusive design benefits the whole community, especially:
• Disabled people
• Older people
• Families with small children
• Carers, friends and relatives
Inclusive design allows everyone “to participate equally in mainstream activities
independently with choice and dignity” (<strong>Planning</strong> and Access for Disabled People, A
Good Practice Guide, ODPM 2003).
Further sources of reference for accessible design are appended to this document.
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