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3 Access to Built Heritage
Introduction
3.1 This section covers the public authorities in this portfolio that between them have strategic roles in the preservation and safeguarding for future generations of the nation's built heritage as well as the promotion of understanding and enjoyment of these places. The lead public authority in Scotland for this focus area is Historic Scotland.
3.2 This section addresses the 'built' as oppose to the 'natural' heritage. Conservation and access to 'natural heritage' is overseen by Scottish Natural Heritage. In addition, the two National Parks Authorities, Cairngorms National Park Authority and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority also serve to promote and sustain areas of natural heritage. The contributions of these public authorities are covered in the Rural Affairs and the Environment report.
Background: Wider Policy Context and Evidence
Wider policy context
3.3 This section covers the area of planning in relation to built heritage. Other aspects of planning are referred to other sections of the overall report (see for example, section 2e on Planning and Built Environment within the Finance and Sustainable Growth report).
3.4 In the area of planning and built heritage, the Disability Rights Commission and Historic Scotland report Access improvement applications to listed buildings and the role of local authorities (Disability Rights Commission and Historic Scotland: 2006) found that Scottish planning legislation gave little or no regard to inclusive design issues. Accessibility was seen as an issue for designers to address and for building standards officers to enforce. Those engaged in planning, designing and building standards control had limited formal training in inclusive design. There was little or no Scottish specific good practice guidance on improving access to the historic environment, though there is substantive guidance such as Easy Access to Historic Landscapes, English Heritage (English Heritage: 2005) which received part funding from Historic Scotland.
3.5 In the same year, the Scottish Government in conjunction with the Scottish Building Standards Agency issued PAN 78: Planning and Building Standards Advice Note: Inclusive Design, Scottish Government (Scottish Executive: 2006a) which provided advice to a range of people who have a role in creating and maintaining inclusive environments such as building owners, developers, design professionals, local authority officers, access panels and building occupiers. In particular, it stressed that inclusive design was not just about access to buildings but about the internal and external environment where people took part in every day activities such as shops, offices, hospitals, leisure facilities, parks and streets as well as many other public spaces.
3.6 The Scottish Government's Statement on Architecture Policy (Scottish Executive, 2007) has a specific section on 'Inclusive Design' which points specifically to the legal requirement to consider the needs of disabled people when designing buildings and places. The statement also includes examples of creative and inclusive designing such as the regeneration of new amenities in Campbeltown.
3.7 Historic Scotland's response to the Scottish Parliament's Inquiry into Disability 4 in March 2007 identified that a current priority was in equality impact assessing new policies as well as improving existing policies.
3.8 The Scottish Government has also funded the Scottish Disability Equality Forum 5 to act as an umbrella body for Access Panels. The Forum promotes action to make the institutions and services of Scotland more accessible to people with disabilities and the built environment. The Forum supports Access Panels across the country which comprises disabled people to improve communications between disabled people and policy makers.
Research and statistical evidence
3.9 Statistics relating to the built heritage of relevance to disability were not readily available. Some Historic Scotland properties clearly record visits from disabled people, for example visitors using wheelchairs, but this data does not appear to be published. However, a scrutiny of individual documents such as that for Stirling Castle, show that in the period 2006-7, around 600 people using wheelchairs visited Stirling Castle. However, these figures report on a year-by-year basis preventing a comparison of trends. It is also difficult to ascertain whether, as in the case of Stirling Castle, the number of disabled visitors visiting was as a result of pro-action on the past of the visitor attraction or whether the numbers visiting would have happened naturally.
3.10 Where venues are available for public hire for events, these often provide details of disability access, particularly for users with mobility issues but again statistics are not readily available.
3.11 Scotland has around 345 properties in the care of Historic Scotland in all parts of the country and which span 5,000 years of history. Among them are sites of unique importance, like the Neolithic tomb of Maeshowe in the Orkney Islands which is a World Heritage Site and internationally-famous icons like Edinburgh Castle. The significance of these sites to the economic well-being of Scotland, particularly in terms of the tourism industry cannot be under-estimated.
3.12 Studies (Doyle, 2002) have shown that for many visitors, a visit to historical building or site was one of the main destinations for both domestic and overseas visitors. The study also found that those visiting historic buildings tended to spend more per visit thus generating greater wealth and potential for Scotland's economy.
Reporting on progress towards equality of opportunity
Introduction
3.13 Recent policy developments in this area has focussed largely on providing advice and guidance on ensuring inclusive design. Inclusive design moved beyond access to buildings to taking on board the environmental factors of accessibility for people going about their daily lives, for example, in public areas such as shopping areas, leisure facilities and parks. Accessibility was clearly a key area of focus but issues of consultation and involvement of people with disabilities was also an area being developed.
3.14 This section drawing largely from data derived from the Scottish Government scheme relating to the work of Historic Scotland seeks to identify areas of progress as well as areas where progress is less evident.
Areas where progress is evident
3.15 Progress was found to be evident in relation to:
- Accessibility
- Impact Assessment
- Training
Accessibility
3.16 Ensuring members of the public and service users have best access to their services has been a priority for the public authorities. The main areas of focus have been on accessibility into buildings and premises (such as provision of disabled parking bays near the entrance of buildings), improving marketing and communication and accessing the views of disabled people for guidance and advice.
3.17 In some cases it was difficult to assess whether the reported activity preceded the duty or was being undertaken directly as a result of new obligations arising from the Disability Discrimination Act. For example, for Historic Scotland, work had already commenced prior to the onset of the disability equality duty to audit national properties in care for accessibility. Up to the point of the commencement of the duty, 75 staffed properties of the all 345 Properties in Care had been audited. The rest (270) were completed by March 2007.
3.18 Other forms of accessibility are also being explored such through the use of 'remote access' for disabled visitors (including the use of talks, books, through audio and interactive IT solutions). These facilities have been introduced at some of Scotland's most prominent historic areas such as Stirling Castle, Jedburgh Abbey, Skara Brae and the Edinburgh Castle Prisoners of War Exhibition.
Impact Assessment
3.19 Priority has tended to be given to equality impacting new policies and related planned activity. Historic Scotland is also an agency of the Scottish Government and equality impact assessment has also taken place as part of the Government's overall scheme.
Training
3.20 This is an area that has been recognised to be of importance to assist the authority take forward the duty. Historic Scotland has focussed training on raising the awareness of Board members and staff of the key tenets of the Disability Equality Duty and the public body's Disability Equality Scheme.
3.21 To sum up the evidence of progress in the area of access to the built heritage, there is positive activity in some schemes and annual reports, particularly in relation to:
- Providing accessibility into building and premises as well as to generic services through improved marketing and communication, improved websites as well as the provision of remote access to facilities through provision of talks and audio books.
- Consulting and involving disabled employees to assist them in career progressions as well as consulting disabled people more generally in relation to identifying barriers to participation
- Equality impact assessing new policies and current planned activity
Areas where Progress is less evident
3.22 The following are areas where progress has been less evident:
- Availability of data
- Partnership and collaboration
Availability of data
3.23 To ascertain progress would require both quantitative and qualitative evidence on uptake, participation and satisfaction. At this early stage in the implementation of the disability equality duty, the lack of availability of data, both quantitative and qualitative, in the documents considered for this report means it is difficult to comment on progress in terms of access to built heritage.
3.24 From an examination of disability equality schemes and annual reports, it was not clear what data are available on uptake of visits to built heritage properties by disabled people or how disabled people were currently participating in the areas of work of those bodies. This is not to say the data is not held elsewhere but it has not been presented within the schemes, action plans and annual reports reviewed for this report. Such data was also not accessible on public authority websites. There are also no details within the documents about the position of disabled people on those bodies as paid staff, volunteers, Board or sub-committee members.
3.25 There is also an absence of data, whether that relates to take up of services, profile of employees or information about how disability-related harassment might be addressed.
Partnership and collaboration
3.26 Access to the built heritage for disabled people would require coordination and partnership with a range of bodies, not least local authorities, the voluntary sector and other organisations working on disability issues. At this early stage, there was little evidence from disability equality schemes demonstrating how these different sectors might work with each other to improve accessibility for disabled people either to properties or to employment within these properties. This is an area that could benefit from attention.
3.27 To sum up, the lack of quantitative and qualitative data from which progress can be robustly assessed is the key area requiring further attention.
Categories of Impairment
3.28 There is recognition that improving access for disabled people means including a range of disabilities, not just those related to mobility issues. The Disability Discrimination Act definition is utilised to recognise that there are disability categories such as those related to sensory (sight and hearing) impairments as well as those related to memory impairment.
Consultation and Involvement
3.29 The emphasis has been two pronged. The first is to enable organisations to better support disabled employees. Historic Scotland has identified the importance of assisting disabled staff with career progression and has been actively encouraging disabled staff to benefit from the UK Civil Service Bursary Scheme for Disabled employees. This scheme provides a two-year programme of career training and development/mentoring for disabled civil servants with the potential to reach senior grades. Secondly, by identifying ways to involve disabled people in addressing barriers to participation as well as establishing priorities for remedial action.
3.30 The EEAC Directorate within the Scottish Government have involved disabled groups in consultations on changes to building standards and planning systems. It is also in contact with range of disabled groups itself, as well through the British Standards Institution which develops national ( UK) standards, advice and codes of practice to promote ' good practice in access to the built environment'. . and ensuring an ' inclusive approach to building design, requiring safe, convenient and unassisted access for all people (The Scottish Government 2008:71) .
3.31 The process of consulting and involving disabled people has begun and there is an understanding of the importance of taking on board the voices of disabled people in helping shape future policies, actions and targets. Historic Scotland has oversight of over 300 properties, each of which will have different local priorities and approaches. As the scheme does not provide detail of how each property operates, it can only be said that this area is very much 'work in progress'
Summary and Conclusions
3.32 The historic environment, through its buildings, archaeological and historic sites and landscapes, provide an important sense of place for Scotland's people. It contributes to local character and distinctiveness and is a source of enjoyment and inspiration, improving quality of life for current and future generations.
3.33 This report is based on consideration of the disability equality schemes and annual reports of relevant public authorities. No interviews with public authorities were undertaken in the preparation of the report. An examination of documents revealed evidence of considerable activity, much of which has been started, and even more is planned - for example, Historic Scotland have undertaken access audits of all 345 properties in care.
3.34 Given the early stage that we are at, there appears to be little readily available data about how disabled issues are being considered and embedded into the work of those preserving, conserving and promoting the built heritage of Scotland. This is not to say such data do not exist rather that such data are not easily obtained. Improving data collation would assist to develop a trends picture of how disabled people are accessing services as visitors or considering the sector as a potential employer.
3.35 Access to properties would also require partnership work with those with responsibility for transport, the range of organisations involved in the tourism industry, local authorities, the voluntary sector to name a few. More needs to be done to raise awareness of partner authorities and organisations about what is on offer in relation to the built heritage in relation to disabled issues. Equally, good practice and ideas can be gained from partner authorities and particularly around the use of Access Panels which bring the perspectives of disabled people into focus.
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