Making London more accessible for disabled people
To prepare for the 2012 Games we did lots of work to make London one of the most accessible cities on earth, for both disabled visitors and Londoners. Our job is to continue this for the future.
Key points
- before the 2012 Games, the Mayor pledged to make London, not just the Olympic Park, more accessible for visitors and Londoners
- we are continuing this legacy by promoting inclusive design throughout London
- inclusive design means designing something so that it can be used by as many people as possible
- an evaluation report after the Games found that since 2009 London has become more accessible for visitors.
Making London more inclusive
We want to make London an accessible city for everyone.
One way we are doing this is with the Built Environment Professional Education (BEPE) project. This project teaches building professionals about the importance of inclusive design in London.
Inclusive design is used when building new projects, and to improve existing locations, too.
These videos provide three current examples:
Progress so far
In December 2014 we celebrated the progress achieved by BEPE so far. This marked one year of teaching more professionals about inclusive design.
The reception included a welcome by the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Sir Edward Lister. This was followed by progress reports from the Presidents and CEOs of key built environment professions.
For further information on BEPE, please contact: [email protected].
Inclusive design example: the South Bank
The Mayor, Southwark and Lambeth Councils completed a £4 million scheme to improve accessibility along the South Bank riverside walk in time for the 2012 Games.
Nearly 4km of historic walkway has been improved. For example, the South Bank now has:
- new pavement layouts
- more access ramps and handrails
- a smoother surface around Clink Street, while keeping its historic look
This video explains how the South Bank was made more accessible.
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Has London's accessibility improved?
Following the 2012 Games, we commissioned a report to look at how much more accessible London has become for disabled visitors.
Games Changer? A post-Games evaluation of London as an accessible visitor destination was produced by LiveTourism (working with Arkenford Leisure).
The report found that, since 2009, London has become more accessible for visitors.
The study also produced recommendations for continuing this legacy into the future. These included:
- getting all major stakeholders to work together to create an even more accessible visitor experience
- reviewing and consolidating information provided to disabled visitors
This study replicated the 2009 study ‘Is London Ready to Welcome Disabled Visitors’.
Download Transcript from BEPE reception
Download Games Changer report
Download Games Changer: consumer research report
Download Games Changer: appendices
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