Promotional material

Read what supporters say about the BEPE project

Updated 11 May 2016

Mark Harper, Minister of State for Disabled People (2014 to 2015)

Building on the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Built Environment Professional Education Project was launched last year to embed inclusive design into the education and training of built environment professionals.

The key built environment professional institutions have shown an enthusiasm and desire to do more in the area of inclusive design education. Introducing built environment students to the concept of an inclusive environment at the beginning of their professional education and then embedding the principles throughout their learning will help in the long term to change attitudes towards disability.

It will increase skills and knowledge in inclusive design and will produce architects, planners, surveyors and engineers of the future who will have the competence and desire to put accessibility and inclusion at the heart of their projects. This will help to make social and physical inclusion the norm in all development projects’

Sir Edward Lister, Deputy Mayor of London for Planning

The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were widely recognised as the most inclusive ever and one way we achieved that was through the design of the venues and the Park.

We set ourselves the highest standards of inclusive design and now we are building on that success to ensure that accessibility is at the heart of education for all built environment professionals.

Lord Coe

The focus of this project on training and education will mean a lasting Paralympic legacy which will inspire future generations of built environment professionals to achieve truly accessible and inclusive environments for everyone.

Council of Heads of the Built Environment (CHOBE)

CHOBE is pleased to support the work of the Paralympic legacy team in their endeavours to heighten awareness of the needs of disabled people among Built Environment professionals. As the body representing the Built Environment Education community, CHOBE recognises that too often the needs of disabled people are not well understood or sufficiently integrated within the curricula of the student body. As awareness grows of both the needs of disabled people and their contribution to society in so many ways when accessible and inclusive provision is made, it is our view that all built environment professionals, from designers to managers, should seek to both recognise and accommodate disability needs within the properties for which they have responsibility throughout the building life cycle. Through its members, CHOBE will seek to encourage its colleagues to embed consideration of disability and inclusive design processes in meaningful ways in the curricula.

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) feels passionately that improving accessibility for disabled people forms a critical curricular element for all those involved in studying the built environment; we are proud therefore to support this wider industry drive. We will be working to develop criteria referencing inclusive design as part of our work with all recognised RIBA schools of architecture around the world to help lead this critical aspect of the design process. Building on the all-inclusive design ethos of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we will actively promote the design and management of future spaces with accessibility and good design at their core to the next generation of architects, engineers, and planners.

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

The Institution of Civil Engineers is pleased to support this initiative. London 2012 demonstrated that built environment professionals can work together to provide facilities that are inclusive for a wide variety of needs across the whole population. The challenge now is to embed this in the education and training of all professionals. ICE will be working with sister organisations, members and stakeholders to make this a reality.

British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)

We are delighted to support this great initiative. This follows the fantastic success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games which were considered to be the most accessible games ever held. The BIFM look forward to working with partner institutes to ensure that the access needs of elderly and disabled people are met to achieve inclusive access for all. BIFM have been supporting members understand the importance of inclusive access for many years. This support is crucial as facilities managers are at the forefront of making their buildings accessible to all; their role helps improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through improved access and workplace conditions.

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

RICS is delighted to lend its support to the Built Environment Professional Education Project, and to serve on the BEPE Advisory Board. As the leading professional body in land, property and construction, we welcome all efforts to equip built environment professionals with the knowledge and expertise to ensure inclusive design.

Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)

The RTPI is very keen to see inclusive design embedded in the built environment professions and looks forward to working with partners to ensure we have a lasting Paralympic Legacy.

Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

The London Olympics and Paralympics set a new benchmark for better access to the built environment for disabled people. The challenge now is to take the lessons learned and improve training and education so that this does not remain a shining beacon of success but becomes the norm. The Chartered Institute of Building is delighted to support this initiative.

Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT)

Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation is happy to support the Built Environment Professional Education Project. We look forward to working with you and other partner organisations to take this initiative forward.

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

Inclusive design is at the heart of CIBSE’s mission to engineer a sustainable built environment and we welcome this opportunity to work with partner institutions to achieve the BEPE vision.

Landscape Institute

The Disability Discrimination Act has had a profound influence on design for accessibility. We welcome initiatives that will ensure a wider range of professions develop the knowledge and expertise required to ensure better designed places for everyone.

Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)

The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) recognises that inclusive design is at the heart of a successful built environment and as the lead body for Architectural Technology ensures that it forms an essential part of all CIAT’s Accredited Honours degree level programmes.

CIAT is delighted to be involved with an initiative that holistically approaches the relationship that society has with the built environment to recognise differing needs, wants and functions through the education of our future architectural and building professionals.

British Institute of Interior Design

The British Institute of Interior Design welcomes the BEPE Project to ensure that the legacy of the 2012 Paralympics is a collaborative effort by all who design and work in the built environment, to create places and spaces that are truly accessible and inclusive for disabled people.

Local Authority Building Control (LABC)

As the representative body for the building control teams working in local authorities, LABC fully supports this project to improve the education and training of built environment professionals in inclusive design. Building control surveyors have an important role to play to ensure high quality new buildings, and it is vital that they are appropriately trained.

Construction Industry Council (CIC)

The Construction Industry Council welcomes and supports the BEPE project and it will endeavour to work with its members to improve understanding of the positive impact that creating more inclusive environmental support has, for everyone in society, irrespective of age and physical capabilities. It is important that our industry makes ease of access to our buildings, streets and public spaces the norm and integral to all design and construction.

Standing Conference of Heads of Schools of Architecture (SCHOSA)

The principles of inclusive design are integral to the delivery of buildings and cities that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of everyone. The Standing Conference of Heads of Schools of Architecture (SCHOSA) is pleased to support this initiative through the education and training of architects and other professionals in the built environment.

Salford University

Infusing Inclusive Design into the education process of our future Built Environment professionals will be a fitting legacy from the Paralympic Games. The School of the Built Environment at the University of Salford is committed to supporting this initiative and looks forward to an ever increasing inclusiveness of the places and spaces we live in.

Reading University

The legacy of the London Games, which carried inclusive design to a new level, must be part of main stream construction thinking – integrating inclusive design into all of professional construction education is an excellent way to make this happen.

Engineering Council

The Engineering Council is pleased to support the Built Environment Professional Education Project. A wide range of professional engineers and technicians along with many other built environment professionals, contributed directly to the accessibility and inclusivity of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Working to achieve an inclusive environment is integral to the ethical and sustainability principles guiding engineers in their professional lives. Supporting professional engineering institutions to embed these principles into the education and training of future generations of engineers will contribute to a lasting Paralympic legacy.