The need for inclusive housing design

This paper describes the principles that need to be followed by housing designers and planners to ensure that disabled people are not excluded by design from future housing development. It outlines the demographic drivers and the problem with current housing stock, and then comments on the standards that need to be applied to ensure inclusion for all members of society. If government rhetoric about building sustainable communities in which people want to live is to be matched by action, attention must be paid to the housing needs of everyone who is part of that community, including disabled people.John Grooms Housing Association (JGHA) is a leading specialist provider of wheelchair‐standard housing in England, with more than 1,200 properties.