Making the built environment accessible

Habinteg Housing Association (www.habinteg.org.uk) champions inclusion by building and managing  sustainable neighbourhoods of Lifetime Homes and wheelchair standard homes for disabled and non-disabled people. It supports disabled tenants through an adaptations service funded from its own resources. The objective is to assist tenants in maintaining independence and safety in their homes.

Resources are provided both by an in-house occupational therapist and by a dedicated budget for direct expenditure on adaptations to tenants’ homes equivalent to 23 per cent of its annual budget for responsive maintenance to properties.

During the financial year to end of March 2007, the housing association undertook the installation of approximately 285 new adaptations. These included support rails, level access showers and works to meet the needs of people with sensory impairment, for example flashing door bells and vibrating alarms linked to smoke detectors.

Habinteg’s two main offices, in Bradford and London, were specifically designed to incorporate as many features of good practice as practical. Features include Braille signposting, accessible toilets and showers, in-built induction loop systems and dual height reception desks.

Habinteg’s publications are available in a range of alternative formats. A database allows orders to be despatched in the appropriate format without the customer needing to make a specific request.