We’re delighted to welcome Dr Amit Patel to the WAN Awards judging panel. A motivational speaker, author and broadcaster, Amit also advises museums, galleries and concert venues on how to ensure their buildings, their performances or exhibitions are accessible and inclusive. He believes passionately that architects should create buildings that “work for everybody”.
“Often a company will say ‘we’ve got a ramp’ or ‘we’ve got braille on the walls.’ The ramp might get you in the door but not around the building once you’re inside. If the blind person doesn’t know the braille is there, how do they find it? There’s a big difference between doing the minimum and practical designs that offer a truly inclusive experience.”
Amit was working as an A&E doctor specialising in trauma when a haemorrhage behind his eyes caused him to lose his sight overnight. He went from travelling the world, helping patients in the aftermath of tsunami’s, earthquakes and airplane crashes to being scared to leave the house.
“I’ve always been a thrill seeker – I learnt to fly before I learnt to drive. I’m not the sort of person who could sit behind a desk. Working in A&E every day was different and a challenge. I loved it,” he says.
The huge adjustment to life with a disability came with many challenges of its own. These included three months learning how to use a white cane, discovering how to navigate the London Underground with his guide dog Kika as well as two months learning to read and write braille.
Amit’s experiences have informed his work and mean he is ideally placed to advise architects and designers on creating spaces that are truly accessible to all.
“If someone’s designing a building surely they want everybody to be able to experience it fully? After losing my sight I discovered that services and accessibility provision aren’t always in place.”
Amit loves to visit museums and attend concerts with his wife and two young children, but he soon discovered that this wasn’t as easy as before.
“What I hate is that you can’t just turn up somewhere or you only get to experience half of something rather than the full experience. At a concert you might be put in a ‘disabled pen’ or at a museum you might have to take a disabled path.
“I’m a spontaneous guy, I like to be able to just turn up to places. Since losing my sight I have to call up in advance to make sure me and my family can experience things. I don’t want people to shout about accessibility I just want to be able to turn up and enjoy the full experience like anybody else. If a building is inaccessible, I feel left out.”
For Amit, ensuring accessibility and inclusion are considered by architects at the outset of a project is key.
“These aspects should be incorporated organically within the structure, like it’s always been there rather than an add on.
“I sometimes get asked to be involved right at the end of a project by which point there is no time or budget. If you think about it from the beginning, then it’s trouble free to incorporate.”
Photo credit: Amit Patel
Amit was the accessibility co-ordinator for SEE MONSTER, (pictured above with Amit and Kika), a retired oil rig transformed into one of the UK’s largest public art installations. The project was a gold WAN Award winner in the Adaptive Reuse category last year, but the judges also singled it out for its accessibility features which Amit helped to devise. These included braille on handrails, an audio track throughout the structure and a wheelchair accessible architectural suspended walkway.
“If someone turns up and can’t get around the space I’ve failed in my job,” says Amit.
He believes that the reason the project was so successful is that accessibility was prioritised from the start.
“The great thing about SEE Monster was that I was invited to sit down with the design team right at the beginning of the process and we had an open conversation about what was needed. When they asked me ‘what works Amit?’ I had to pinch myself. I’d been working towards this for years. It’s about thinking outside the box but also coming up with often very simple solutions,” says Amit.
“Seating provision on the SEE MONSTER meant that those with mobility issues could take a break. The provision of changing rooms with a hoist meant that families with disabled children could visit.”
Amit is looking forward to judging your entries in the Accessibility category but notes that he is hoping projects will consider accessibility and inclusivity as a matter of course across all categories.
“I’m really looking forward to judging the WAN Awards, I’m hoping someone will surprise me with something new that really works,” he says.
We’d love to hear about your project’s accessibility and inclusivity features. Find out how to get started on your entry today here.