Housing Action – 29th July
Join us in demanding that the new Government raise the minimum accessibility standards for new build homes across the UK
Join us in demanding that the new Government raise the minimum accessibility standards for new build homes across the UK.
This action marks 2 years since the Government committed to raise standards, but the promised changes still haven’t happened yet.
The homes that are currently being built do not allow people to eventually adapt their homes to suit their needs over the course of their lifetime.
Raising the accessibility standards would make new homes accessible and adaptable, saving money and lives.
Jump to:
- Join us at the action
- What we are asking the new Government to do
- How to support the action and resources
- Location and access
- Your right to protest
- Press pack
Join us at the action:
When: Monday 29th July 2024, from 12pm
Where: At Parliament Square, Westminster, London, SW1P 3JX
12-1pm: We will have speeches and the action with banners and props
1-1:45pm: We will march from Parliament Square to 10 Downing Street to hand in the letter
Afterwards: Optional social at Sanctuary House pub (step-free access + accessible toilet)
The map below shows where the action will take place, the step-free route from the nearest station and the route we will march to Downing Street. It also shows nearby stations and public toilets, including accessible and Changing Places toilets.
What we are asking the new Government to do:
- Make the M4(2) ‘accessible and adaptable’ standard the minimum requirement for all new build homes, as the previous Government committed to on 29th July 2022
- Set a minimum target of 10% of new build homes to meet the M4(3) wheelchair user standard
- Ensure that the majority of accessible homes are built in the social rented sector
Find out more about what the different accessibility standards mean in our briefing (with Easy Read).
How to support the action and resources
Email your MP
Use our template to email your MP and invite them to join us at the action.
Sign our letter to the Government
We have written a joint letter to the new Government (with BSL and Easy Read) from Disabled-led organisations and housing organisations, who support the call for higher accessibility standards.
Sign the letter to show your organisation’s support by filling in this form (with BSL).
Share on social media
You can support the call for more accessible housing by posting your support on social media using the hashtags #AccessDenied and #Housing. What difference would accessible housing make to you?
Tip: If you tag us (Inclusion London), we can see and reshare your post. Make sure to use ‘alt text’ for images and caption videos if you can, to make them more accessible. Alt text makes images accessible for blind and visually impaired people using screen readers. On social media and websites, go to edit the image, click to add ‘alternative text’, ‘alt text’ or ‘image description’ and write or paste in a description of what is in the image. For example, how to add alt text on X/Twitter. If you don’t use alt text, it’s harder for us to reshare your post accessibly.
Use our easy, pre-drafted tweet or write your own:
Or reshare our posts on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!
You can use our images to post on social media and share the action with others:
Alt text: Accessible Housing Day of Action. Join us to demand that the new Government commits to creating accessible and affordable housing. #AccessDenied Monday 29th July, 12pm. Westminster, London. With BSL interpreters. Inclusion London logo. A cartoon of a wheelchair user in front of a building with steps up to the entrance. The doors are chained shut with a padlock and a No Entry sign to show that the building is inaccessible and access is denied.
Location and access
Map:
The map below shows where the action will take place, the step-free route from the nearest station and the route we will march to Downing Street. It also shows nearby stations and public toilets, including accessible and Changing Places toilets. Filter what is shown by using the button in the top left hand corner. Direct link to map here
Closest stations:
Westminster: step-free access to Circle and District, Jubilee lines
Charing Cross (15 minute walk): no step-free access to Bakerloo and Northern lines
Waterloo (20 minute walk): step-free access to Jubilee line, no step-free access to Bakerloo, Northern, Waterloo and City, and National Rail
Victoria (25 minute walk): step-free access to Circle and District, Victoria lines, no step-free access to National Rail
Tip: You can check step-free access before you travel with the TfL Go app, in case of lift failures on the day
Other transport:
Many buses stop at Westminster Station and Parliament Square.
Disabled parking spaces are located nearby in Great Peter Street, Smith Square, and by Methodist Central Hall on Matthew Parker Street.
Toilets:
The nearest non-accessible toilet is at Westminster Underground. It costs 50p. Or the non-accessible toilets by Westminster Pier. They cost 50p too. The accessible toilet here is out of order (checked 26/7/24).
The easiest accessible toilet to get to is at Sanctuary House pub, using the step free entrance. It uses a Radar key and you don’t need to buy anything. This is where we will have a social after the action. There are more accessible toilets listed on our map.
The nearest Changing Places toilet is at the Houses of Parliament. There are more Changing Places toilets listed on our map.
Access information:
We will have BSL interpreters at the action.
We will gather on the west side of Parliament Square, which has step-free access. There are banks and steps to sit on, but these are hard concrete. We will stay there around 1 hour.
The march from Parliament Square to Downing Street is about 500 meters. It will take us 10-15 minutes. The route is step free. We will stay outside Downing Street as the letter is handed in which will take some time.
We will go to the Sanctuary House pub for a social afterwards, which has step free access and an accessible toilet.
We will have stewards wearing bright yellow jackets who can assist you.
The action will be loud. We will bring some ear defenders, but please do bring your own if you have some and might need them.
We will have water bottles to give out.
We will make recordings and transcripts of the speeches and put these up on our website after the action. There will be a delay in doing this, but we’ll do it as fast as we can.
You are free to join, leave and take a break at any time, without having to give a reason.
Your right to protest
Liberty and Disability Rights UK have developed a guide to:
Your right to protest: Disabled people’s rights
Liberty also has a Bust Card with information about how to interact with police, what to do if you’re arrested and how to get free legal advice.
We will have English copies at the action and you can download translations in many languages here:
Press pack
Interested in covering this action for media, or have journalist contacts you can share this with?
View our press pack, including background information, quotes and case studies.