The educational workshops provided by Sinéad and her team were hugely well-received across the group. I am delighted that we have partnered with Tilting the Lens and look forward to developing our relationship further.
A commitment to an inclusive workspace with All3Media
Developing an accessibility blueprint for real estate decisions
Client
All3Media
Date
August 2023
Sectors
- Media and Entertainment
Project Team
Project overview
In 2023 the global media company All3Media engaged Tilting the Lens to develop an accessibility blueprint that would serve as a guideline for All3Media’s real estate decisions. The overarching goal of the project was to create accessible and inclusive workspaces which foster a supportive and dignified work environment for all employees. To aid this outcome, Tilting the Lens produced a comprehensive document containing actionable advice and insights from a wide range of relevant sources.
The challenge
All3Media contracted Tilting the Lens to create a blueprint that detailed best practices in office design across visual, spatial, audible, digital, and tactile factors. This blueprint would then be a reference for All3Media’s real estate team, whether scouting new office locations, refurbishing existing spaces or renegotiating leases. We wanted to make sure that we drew up a clear, actionable document by consulting widely across legislation, expertise, and disabled people’s own lived experience.
The approach
Tilting the Lens employed a broad methodology to develop the accessibility blueprint, using the following strategies.
Research and analysis
Tilting the Lens conducted extensive research on best practices and lived experience in inclusive office design. This included reviewing both UK and EU legislation on physical accessibility, building regulations, health and safety regulations, employer’s obligations, and workplace accessibility. We also ran focus groups with a range of stakeholders who have lived experience, always through an intersectional lens.
A holistic approach
The blueprint covered various dimensions of accessibility, ranging from physical aspects like wheelchair ramps and seating, to digital elements such as accessible software and assistive technology.
Shaping perspectives and prioritising voices
We recognise the historical underrepresentation of disabled individuals in the field of design, and how this absence underscores the disregard for their perspectives. So our strategy for the blueprint revolved around prioritising disabled individuals, and leveraging their expertise for effective solutions.
Outcome and impact
The collaboration between All3Media and Tilting the Lens culminated in the creation of a comprehensive 116-page accessibility blueprint. The document is rooted in the legislation and building standards for their most relevant markets, along with the qualitative and quantitative data gained from focus groups with disabled employees, line managers, office managers, recruitment personnel, and senior leaders.
The blueprint provides clear guidelines for accessible workspaces, and includes a wide range of considerations:
Physical accessibility
The design guidelines addressed physical accessibility features, such as ramps, elevators, accessible bathrooms, parking and public transport – to name a few.
Sensory accessibility
The blueprint included recommendations for creating spaces that catered to diverse sensory and cognitive needs, including adequate lighting, acoustics, quiet spaces and pods, and tactile wayfinding.
Inclusive culture
The project also emphasised fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace culture that embraced diversity. Accessible office spaces can improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and attract and retain a diverse range of talented employees.
As well as these actionable insights based on stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and in-depth secondary research, the blueprint features a checklist and scorecard to aid the teams using it.
By commissioning this blueprint, and incorporating accessibility considerations from the outset, All3Media has demonstrated its dedication to creating a workplace environment that promotes dignity, agency, and ease, and ensures their physical spaces are designed with disabled people to accommodate the needs of all employees, visitors, and guests.
