New design guide aims to support people with cognitive and sensory impairments

Today, the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department for Communities (DfC) jointly launched Designing Homes for All, a new housing design guide aimed at supporting people living with cognitive and sensory impairments.

Background

The guide highlights that, while housing design has traditionally focused on physical accessibility, the needs of people with cognitive and sensory impairments have often received less attention. It seeks to address this by providing guidance on creating homes that are easier to understand, navigate and use.

Rather than introducing new regulatory requirements, the guide promotes best practice and encourages those involved in the design, construction and adaptation of homes to go beyond minimum compliance standards.

Core principles

The guidance is built around three key principles:

• Optimise sensory load by reducing unnecessary noise, visual clutter and overstimulation.
• Reduce design complexity through simple, intuitive layouts that are easy to understand and navigate.
• Provide access to nature through physical and visual connections to outdoor spaces and natural environments.

Key recommendations

Among other recommendations, the guide advises:

• Simplifying layouts and reducing design complexity.
• Improving visibility and visual connections between key spaces.
• Reducing sensory overload through calmer, less cluttered environments.
• Optimising daylight, lighting and visual contrast.
• Providing physical and visual access to nature and outdoor spaces.

More information

The full design guide can be accessed here.

If you have any questions or comments about this update, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk