after the building has been built and used
Why Access Audit Your Building?
Businesses can be proactive in providing access for persons with disabilities and older persons where there is equal opportunity for people to access and use the premises. The need to appeal to customers, whose diverse needs to be met, thus engaging the public physically, sensorially or cognitively in their premises, would allow the businesses to flourish, may it is to do with families, food, and beverages, as you need to be catering to all, it makes business sense to conduct an access audit.
An access audit will ascertain whether the building/venue occupied and operate from can be accessible, safe and usable for all. Depending on the services offered and facilities available, that will provide for the maximum accessibility which would make it enjoyable for all people to use. This includes the use of all the facilities such as the restroom and toilets, sitting accommodation, access to displays, access to information about the products etc. including finding out more about the products and what services are offered. Generally, all the opportunities that non-disabled persons could do, the disabled persons could do as well.
An access audit comprises of visiting the site, going through the spaces with the user/s, interviewing the users including persons with disabilities and, using a direct observation technique of a checklist to comply with the Malaysian Standard 1184 and other international standards. A report will illustrate the degree of accessibility, usability and safety of the building/venue including design, infrastructure, operations and services provided by the business.
The Centre of Accessible Environment in the UK context have certain laws that we don't have in Malaysia, as quoted “the purpose of an access audit is establish how well a building performs in relation to access ease of use by a wide range of potential users, including people with mobility, cognitive and sensory impairments”, and whereby “access audits are valuable to identify necessary adjustments in the service provided to disabled customers to meet the requirements of current provisions of the Equality Act and the Building Regulations”. We don't have that in the context of the Malaysian service provision where the customer could complain to an authority to get compensation, but what we could have a genuine offering for the customer to be able to be using the business premises.
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Access audit services.
In-depth access audits are conducted using three methods:
1. Compliance with standards and good practices using a toolkit designed for building type (including the use of a checklist based on standards).
2. Interviews and participant observations of the users, including disabled users.
3. Analysis and design recommendations based on lived experience and a comprehensive proposal for a totally accessible building, facilities, and services (using a walk-through situation of different scenarios of diverse needs to determine the main routes – depending on whether the buildings are public buildings or private dwellings).