About Access is the safe solution for historic castles and dragons’ dens

About Access is drawing on its increasing experience of historic buildings to warn owners and occupiers of their responsibilities in terms of the law and good business sense.

The company deals with historic properties with a wide range of uses – and the individual needs of a variety of people.

Managing Director Ian Streets said: “Our case studies for historic buildings include many examples of tourist attractions and churches but they also extend to such public buildings as local authority offices, public libraries and community halls as well as academic institutions.

“And of course the many corporate concerns who choose listed buildings for their dragons’ dens are under the same obligation to look after the people who use their property.”

Based in Yorkshire and operating nationwide, About Access is a member of the National Register of Access Consultants and the Access Association and works with BSI Standards, the UK’s national standards body, to guide on appropriate designs for buildings and their surrounding areas.

The company is recognised as a leader in advising on how to make sure buildings comply with access requirements under the Equality Act. But Ian also emphasises that a business which anticipates and removes barriers to access will be more successful than one which overlooks potential problems.

One particular project – auditing the access facilities of almost an entire university campus – involved inspecting buildings with an age difference of around 100 years.

“In common with many academic establishments this particular site comprises buildings dating from when the campus first opened right up to the modern day,” said Ian, who founded About Access in 2006.

“My audit covered about 90 per cent of the premises and paid particular attention to some of the older buildings which have been upgraded over the years – many of them on more than one occasion.”

The project reflected the wider workload of About Access, whose contracts during the last years have included work for such corporate clients as Virgin Holidays and Virgin Atlantic and for English Heritage.

“Our work is about making sure the buildings are safe and accessible for the people who work there and for the people who visit, whether they are business visitors, colleagues from another site, members of the public, whatever,” said Ian.

“You can never be sure of the level of physical ability or disability of the people who will arrive at your door, so you have to cover all eventualities. Apart from the legal duty, if a person is unable to visit your premises safely and comfortably that could cost you a customer.”

• For further information on how About Access can help you and your properties please contact Ian Streets, Managing Director, telephone: 01482 651101, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit website: www.aboutaccess.co.uk.