Although the RIBA Outline Plan of Work looks complex, your group does not necessarily need an in-depth understanding of every stage. The key point to remember is that access groups should aim to become involved at the earliest possible time in any building project. The earlier that your group can get involved, the more likely you are to spot and help eliminate potential barriers to access in the design.

Key advice to access groups: if a developer is reluctant to involve your group, emphasise that involving your group involved will make the design and construction process much smoother overall. Not only will you be able to flag up any access issues using your technical knowledge, but you will also be able to comment from a consumer's point of view. Both Planning and Building Control departments will look more favourably on proposals in which access groups have been actively involved.

Below is a summary of the points at which your group should usually be involved in a project

Work Stages A, B and C

During Stages A through to C, design drawings are created and presented for approval before moving the design on.

Your access group should aim to be involved with the preparation of the design brief, allowing the design team to come to an agreement on:

• how and when consultation will take place throughout the process
• which design guidance will be used
• what specific steps will be taken by all parties to ensure accessibility

• are aware of any particular accessibility challenges, and can advise on them if need be
• can keep abreast of any changes and assess whether there are implications for access

Work Stage D

Stage D develops the design to allow preparation of detailed proposals. These are then submitted for planning approval. It is important to get any major access-related issues sorted out prior to planning permission being granted.

There is a requirement for all new developments to be accompanied by a Design and Access Statement as they go through Planning approval. These explain the design thinking behind a planning application, providing local authorities with a greater understanding of what is being proposed and what the final development might look like. Applicants must demonstrate that they have considered carefully how everyone – including disabled people, older people and young children – will safely and conveniently use the places they propose.

If the design team has consulted with your access group up to this point, they can include details of any involvement in the Design and Access Statement to strengthen their application.

For further guidance on Design and Access Statements, download CABE’s booklet Design and access statements – how to write, read and use them from CABE’s website.

Work Stage E

As the design team moves into stage E, the drawings become more production-orientated. At the end of stage E, the design is ‘frozen’ and no more substantial changes should be made.

Although further drawings may be produced later, their purpose is generally to:

• clarify issues already developed
• correct any discrepancies
• provide detailed information that was not relevant at tender stage when selecting the contractor who would build the structure, such as colour schemes

Work Stage F

At this point, the design proposals will have to be submitted to Building Control for approval. This process will begin in one of two ways:

• If process is being monitored by the local authority’s Building Control department, applicants much give notice of intent.
• If process is being monitored by an Approved Inspector (that is, someone who does not work within the local authority), applicants must serve an initial notice on the local authority.

It is not compulsory to provide an Access Statement at this stage, although it is highly recommended, as it will strengthen the application. Ideally, the Access Statement should be an evolved version of the Design and Access Statement that was provided at Planning stage.

Access Statements should include the following:

• details of how the needs of every building user shall be met in terms of access
• if the design has departed from the provisions in Approved Document M, an explanation as to why this was necessary, and how access is going to be provided in an alternative fashion
• an overview of how decisions have been reached, including details of consultation with disabled people and specialist advisors

For further guidance on writing Access Statements, refer to the former Disability Rights Commission’s (DRC) publication Access Statements, which is available from the DRC’s archived website.

Work Stages G to K

Although the design should be finalised before construction begins, the developer will probably find it useful to have the access group on hand to clarify any access-related decisions that have been made at an earlier stage.

Work Stage L and beyond

Once construction has been completed and all of the furniture, fixtures and fittings are in place, your access group could offer to carry out a post-completion audit. This will assess:

• whether all access-related features of the design have been implemented properly
• whether the construction work has been carried out to a high enough standard so as not to reduce accessibility in any way

However, even if the building has been built to the highest access standards, access may be compromised if it is not maintained through good management practices once the building is occupied. The building manager should produce an operations manual that sets out the policies, procedures and practices that are in place to ensure that good accessibility is maintained.

This should ensure that certain elements of the building are checked on a regular basis and are maintained in a set fashion. For example, the manual should address the following points, amongst others:

• ensuring that door opening forces are maintained within limits set by design guidance
• positioning of furniture and objects within the building so that they do not impede circulation – the placement of items in the transfer space of an accessible WC is a common error
• regular testing and maintenance of hearing loops and emergency assistance alarms in WCs
• immediate replacement of bulbs when they have blown to ensure that the building is well lit throughout
• provision of robust egress strategies for staff, regular visitors and service users, including Personal Emergency Egress Plans for people who are always based in the building
• regular reviews of access provision over time to keep the building and policies in line with new legislation and guidance