BIFM standard Managing Accessibility and Inclusion
On 6 November 2014, The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) published a new standard ‘Managing Accessibility and Inclusion’.
BIFM is the professional body for facilities management (FM). It has 15,000 members around the world and promotes excellence in facilities management for the benefit of practitioners, the economy and society.
The standard is part of BIFM’s Facilities Management Professional Standards Framework. It is intended to raise awareness of inaccessibility and encourage improvement in the accessibility of the built environment for all users.
The standard stems from the Built Environment Professional Education Project (BEPE), funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Greater London Authority (GLA) and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). This is a 5-year project that forms part of the Olympic legacy programme, and includes championing inclusive design.
London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “I welcome the BIFM’s work to change its professional standards to explicitly address the access needs of disabled people. This will embed access and inclusion into the thinking of facilities management professionals in order to make a real difference to disabled people’s lives.”
Gareth Tancred, CEO of BIFM, and member of the BEPE Board, said “The BEPE initiative is all about going beyond legislation, to really inclusive and accessible work and leisure environments, so that disabled and elderly people can fully participate in our society. FM is fundamental to that and we are proud to be leading the way by setting out the professional standard to drive adoption and delivery in this area.
“We believe that adhering to the basic levels of practice set out by the law is simply not enough. FM must go beyond compliance if we are to create truly inclusive environments.”
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Accessibility in the built environment.
- Access consultant.
- Access and inclusion in the built environment: policy and guidance.
- Accessible London.
- Built Environment Professional Education BEPE.
- CABE.
- Changing lifestyles.
- Equality Act.
- Essential principles, Creating an accessible and inclusive environment.
- Inclusive design.
Featured articles and news
Permitted development rights for agricultural buildings
The changes coming into effect as of May 21, 2024.
Biodiversity and the built environment digital series
The nature of building, with CIOB and CWP.
A call for prevention and sensitive re-use.
Risks to the long-term effectiveness of the BNG scheme
National Audit Office publish review of Biodiversity Net Gain.
The CIAT principal designer register
Providing assurance and verification of the capability and competence of registered ATs.
Building Safety recommendations and Northern Ireland
The NI roadmap to improving safety in high rise residential.
Specifying rendered external wall insulation for fire safety
How to interrogate the evidence provided to the specifier.
The benefits of writing articles for your organisation
How to create a profile for your organisation and publish for free.
No Falls Week. The importance of safe working at height
What to expect and what is on offer to avoid accidents.
Scottish Government action to reach net-zero targets
Retrofit expert group highlight critical actions needed.
A forward thinking, inclusive global community of members.
From engineered product life-spans, to their extension.
Circular economy in the built environment
A brief description from 2021. Where are we now?
CLC publishes domestic retrofit competency framework
Roadmap of Skills for net zero.
Understanding is key to conservation.
Open industry engagement survey seeks responses
Institutions and the importance of engagement.