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3 Elements you may want to consider in accessible offices
Accessible offices are not a new element to the workplace, but certainly more needs to be done to support those with a disability.
According to Mobility Plus, nearly 1 in 5 working adults suffer some form of disability. With that in mind, ensuring your office spaces are accommodating to clients, colleagues and visitors is vital. Our guide is on hand to support your journey through understanding what an accessible office means in London, and how we can help you to find the perfect space for everyone. With over 30 prime London locations, we are sure to find the right venue for your organisation.
What is an accessible office?
An accessible office is one that can remove potential barriers to those who suffer from a disability. It means that everyone has equal access to performing their role to the best of their ability. This could be done by adjusting the:
- Layout of the room / office space
- Lighting
- Noise level
- Signage around the facility
- Parking to accommodate those who may need more room to exit a vehicle
- Toilets to accommodate for wheelchair users
Is London an accessible city?
London is an accessible city, but as always, more can be improved to further help those with a disability navigate their way around the city. Current elements in place are:
- Top attractions - many of the top attractions including the London Eye, Tate Modern and ZSL London Zoo are all accessible to those with a disability. Although, you should always check on their websites to ensure the accessibility meets your needs.
- Public transport - London’s wide public transport service, has over 60 underground stations which offer step-free access for wheelchair users. At a selection of the underground stations, they also have tactile markings on the platform edges and contrast-colour station facilities for visually impaired travellers. From our knowledge, the Victoria line, Metropolitan line, Circle line, District line and Hammersmith & City line all have accessible trains operating frequently. VisitLondon has a great article with all the handy tips & tricks for pD79$?H |xgT].1travelling safely through London with a disability. Perfect for ensuring you arrive at your accessible office with little to no hassle!
- Disabled parking - If you are travelling to an accessible office space in London, then the capital offers a high number of blue badge spaces throughout the city. Often these blue badge parking spaces do have time limits, so be sure to check the local parking information before leaving your vehicle for long periods of time. At a selection of our office locations, we have local car parking facilities available, but be sure to check before setting off.
3 Elements you may want to consider in accessible offices
Ensuring your London office space is accessible for everyone, is not only your legal duty but also a moral right to ensure you have the right candidates working for you. If you're starting to doubt whether you are doing all that you can to provide an accessible office space, read our three top tips to consider small changes.
The holistic approach
The holistic approach is taking all elements of your daily work life, and assessing each step to ensure the main touch points are accessible for those with a disability.
Questions you should be asking yourself could be:
- Can everyone enter the office building safely?
- Are door handles and plug sockets at an appropriate height for all employees?
- Is each facility on offer to my employees accessible to everyone eg. the kitchen worktops, toilets and more?
If you have answered ‘no’ to one or more of these questions, it’s time to reassess your workspace and turn it into accessible offices. We can help with this process as we have over 30 prime locations in the city of London which could feature amenities such as:
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Fully stocked kitchens which are accessible to those using a wheelchair
- Car parking located within 100 metres of the buildings
Moving around the office
Another area of consideration to an accessible office is can users move around the facility safely and comfortably. This is vital, especially as we start to move away from traditional office working regimes and incorporate hot desking instead.
More companies are incorporating hybrid working, it is important to assess whether these models are accommodating to those with a disability. Examples of accessible offices perfect for hybrid working are:
- Adjustable furniture
- Wide spaces in between desks
- Clear signage throughout the building
- Main touch points (plug sockets / light switches etc.) in easy to reach places
Accessible meeting rooms
If you do decide to incorporate hybrid working, but want to bring your team together for important briefings, alongside accessible offices you will need accessible meeting rooms.
Our meeting rooms have every detail taken care of, whether you are hosting your team, important clients or conducting an interview, ensuring the space is accessible is important to us. When booking, you can choose you meeting room to be laid out one of four ways:
- Boardroom - Classic seating style to facilitate open discussion.
- U-Shape - Perfect for presentations, video conferencing and training.
- Classroom - Makes not-taking easy during presentations.
- Theatre - Ideal for conferences or presentations to large groups.
Each of these have their advantages when it comes to providing the correct accessibility, but be sure to check with your desired location to ensure the building is fully accessible to all users before booking.
About Argyll serviced offices
Argyll offers the most exclusive office environments at the most prestigious addresses in London. Driven by a desire to provide businesses with a sophisticated place to work, meet and host events, we design every element of our beautiful properties to create a lasting impression – on our customers, and their guests.
Our unique combination of distinctive buildings, contemporary yet classic interiors, unrivalled attention-to-detail and consistently exceptional service, defines our signature Argyll experience. We pride ourselves on never imposing our brand on our customers. Instead, our unbranded spaces provide a stylish backdrop, while our empowered team delivers a personal service to support our customers’ success.