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Locked out: Making buildings work for everyone

BBC A young woman in a wheelchair is attempting to open a door on a train platform. She is wearing a grey t-shirt with the words "let me in" on the back. The door she is trying to open is green and says "disabled and baby changing". BBC
The students behind Let Me In want to help create a more accessible community

A business that determines how accessible facilities are for people with disabilities has been set up by college students.

Let Me In was started by students at Treloar's College in Alton, Hampshire, and is now run by those in their final year.

Southampton Airport and the Watercress Line's Ropley railway station are among the locations they have already audited.

Hazel Wark, deputy head at Treloars and a joint director of Let Me In alongside the students, described the team as "wonderful" and said working with them was a privilege.

Hazel Wark is looking towards the camera, wearing a grey t-shirt and a green lanyard. She is in a classroom with a student in a wheelchair sitting behind her
Deputy head Hazel Wark is a joint director of the business

She said: "The purpose of Let Me In is to change people's perceptions around disabilities and challenge the limiting beliefs in our community so that they can become accessible for all."

Their initial invitation to the Watercress Line came so the students could provide feedback on early plans for a fully accessible train carriage.

But the assessment also carried out checks to the station's signposting, staircase alternatives and the ease of opening doors on each platform.

Marked out on the floor with tape, students could move across the plans in their wheelchairs and position themselves in-situ.

This way, those working on the carriage could take and adjust measurements based on wheelchair height and manoeuvrability.

Wheelchair users are positioned as if they were sitting in the train carriage. There are four students visible from above and they are sitting next to wooden tables on the floor
A life-size floor plan was created to allow the assessment to take place under real-life conditions

Let Me In intern Archie said he was "impressed they were going ahead with converting a whole carriage for wheelchairs".

"It's a great thing to do," he said.

Describing the visit, foreman Ian Harwood said: "We can all think about the problems and the situations they're going to be in but they're the best people to show and tell us."

As well as throwing the doors open to accessibility, Ms Wark said the aim of Let Me In was to reduce the disability employment gap - it is part of a supported internship programme aimed at getting more people with disabilities into work.

Students this year have secured internships at primary schools, colleges and media companies.

"There's a really exciting set of internships this year," she said.

Phoebe sitting in a wheelchair looking towards the camera smiling. Her wheelchair is pink and she has a screen in front of her. She is in a classroom
Phoebe said people did not always understand disability

As well as being employed, interns will deliver their own disability awareness training with their employer.

These sessions aim to help their employer understand how best to communicate with them.

"The best thing to do is just ask. Don't be worried or feel awkward, it really is the best way to ask the individual 'how would you like me to do this?'" Hazel said.

Treloar School and Treloar College provide education, care, therapy, medical support and independence training to people with physical disabilities aged between four and 25.

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