Updated guidance shares ways to make places and spaces accessible
Access for All guide provides practical examples of how to ensure spaces and places are inclusive for disabled people.
The Access for All guide is designed to support local activity providers make their activities and venues more accessible for disabled people, with some small low-cost changes.
The original guide, released in 2015, was developed and aimed at anybody involved in running or working in a sports club. Volunteers, coaches, club members and supporters have all benefited from the resource.
We have worked with accessibility and inclusion specialist Jean Hewitt at Buro Happold alongside a range of expert organisations to update the document. The updated guidance now includes advice for activities in community venues, green and blue spaces, such as parks and lakes. That is as well as low-cost practical examples of how to ensure activities taking place in traditional places, like sports halls and sports clubs are accessible.
Jean Hewitt, Accessibility and Inclusion specialist said:
"This guidance is purposefully structured to give easy to digest, every day, affordable accessibility measures and it’s intended for all those wonderful volunteers and small communities with the heart and ambition to make small or temporary changes but with little or no budget to drawn upon.
"I hope it makes it possible for more disabled people to enjoy all types of activities and sports, as well as signposting technical guidance for when bigger project opportunities arise."
It is not a detailed technical guide but intended as a good starting point. The resource takes people through the main areas of physical access and signposts to sources of further information and support.
Sport England produced Accessible and inclusive sports facilities guidance in August 2024 for planners, designers, building owners and operators. The new Access for All document is designed to help local community providers apply this in practice with practical tips and ideas. Our guidance is a starting point for those who have little to no funding to make access improvements but want to do something to help improve their accessibility.
Ian Bennett, Adaptive Lead at The Wave Project, one organisation who shared their expertise for the guide, said:
"The Access for All guide is an amazing reference point with a wealth of information on making access to sport and particularly the outdoors as easy and efficient as possible.
"For long established organisations, it is a great checklist to ensure they work safely and effectively. Especially for new and developing organisations this is a great catalogue of knowledge, that can save time and eliminate mistakes on a new journey to making a particular sport more accessible.
"The team at The Wave Project are proud to have passed on their knowledge which has been acquired over many years of working in the sea and other blue spaces with disabled people."
This resource provides activity providers, venue owners, sports coaches, event organisers, volunteers, parents, caregivers, and supporters with practical, cost-effective solutions for creating accessible environments.
Whilst some changes may be beyond your control, ensuring accessible venues can be simple and affordable. Access for All offers a range of ideas to enhance accessibility, like creating paths, clear signage, rest areas, and adaptable equipment.
Download the full guide from the resource section on our website.
