Accessibility of spaces in the 2012 Olympic Park in London

Date: Thursday, 21st August 2008
Time: 12.00-14.00 hrs
Venue: Buchanan House, seminar room K505, 58 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow G4 0HG

Programme
12.00 Registration and buffet lunch
12.30 Welcome
12.35 Presentation
13.35 Questions and answers
14.00 Close

Abstract
The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have created a unique opportunity for the UK to promote a contemporary and progressive attitude to sport, design, culture and social inclusion.
A commitment to using inclusive design to ensure London 2012 can host ‘the most accessible Games ever’ underpinned London’s bid. To reinforce this, London 2012 will be the first Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to be planned together from the start. This will give the 2012 Games a distinctive feel as the approach to the planning and delivery of the two events will be streamlined

The Role of the Olympic Delivery Authority
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public body responsible for developing and building the venues and infrastructure for the Games, and has a key role to play in delivering accessible inclusive design for the 2012 Games.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for preparing and staging the Games. Together, LOCOG and the ODA form ‘London 2012’.

London 2012 will supplement a core group of permanent facilities with the highest ever number of temporary venues and components to be incorporated into an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

All this – as well as the planning, design, construction, Games-time operation and post-Games transformation of venues – is to be completed in just over four years.

The ODA are working with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and other longer term partners to achieve the correct balance between investment in physical features and operational and management measures, while meeting inclusive design objectives.

Inclusive Design
Inclusive design is a process that aims to remove barriers in how people think and in the way they use their environment, buildings and transport.
By adopting inclusive design principles in London’s Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, Britain will be setting contemporary benchmarks for improved standards of inclusive design. 

One of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Masterplans’ key goals is to create a built environment “that is welcoming and accessible for everyone… The design of each venue will be regularly reviewed with the ODA, our Design Review Panel, the Principal Access Officer and the Built Environment Access Panel. In addition to its ongoing community engagement and formal consultation processes, the ODA established two groups the Access and Inclusion Forum and the ODA Built Environment Access Panel has been established to provide advice and comment to ODA project teams. The ODA has developed a set of Inclusive Design Standards to ensure that that every 2012 Games project has a consistent approach to inclusive design, from the needs of families to different faiths’ concerns. We want these guidelines to promote really good and positive practices, not just obey minimum standards.”

Speaker: Margaret Hickish. Principal Access Officer Olympic Delivery Authority

At the ODA Margaret is responsible for ensuring that all design teams working on buildings and public realm within the Olympic Park and beyond are fulfilling the London 2012 commitment to provide the most accessible games ever.
As inclusive design adviser to the ODA and delivery partner CLM, Margaret takes part in the client reviews on all ODA projects, she has developed the ODA Inclusive Design Strategy and inclusive Design Standards. In addition she is responsible for two stakeholder groups of inclusive design experts and disabled people.
A Member of Architecture and Design Scotland, and previously a member of the Royal Fine Arts Commission (Scottish equivalent of CABE), Margaret is an experienced Access consultant and has managed numerous stakeholder groups. She is also a skilled trainer in disability awareness and the impacts of equality legislation on the built environment and transport.
Margaret has almost 20 years experience in specifying, negotiating inclusive design. improving access for disabled people, women and men of all cultures, faiths and ages to the built environment and transport.
Prior to secondment to the ODA she, as Head of Inclusive Design Consultancy at Buro Happold, an integral member of the EDAW Consortium team, responsible for the delivery of inclusive design during the development of the Olympic Park Masterplan.
A Woman of the Year 1997 in recognition of her continuing work in equality and inclusion, she was the first female apprentice appointed to a Royal Dockyard in 1969 and the first winner,1973, of the Dame Joan Vickers Cup for most outstanding apprentice of the year.
Margaret has particular experience in advising on access to sports, public and civic amenities including Emirates Stadium, O2 Arena, Arena & Conference Arena (Liverpool), Unicorn Children’s Theatre, the Grand Egyptian Museum (Cairo), Scottish Parliament building and streetscape, and Massar Children’s Centre (Damascus).

Booking

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