Direct Access Group

23/04/2026

Our team is incredibly proud to have supported The Harris as part of the 'Harris Your Place' project for many years, first contributing as consultants to the museum's redesign, and now to the delivery of our tactile wayfinding maps, which will enable more independent navigation for blind and sight-impaired visitors.

Our work together reflects a shared commitment to embedding accessibility into the design, planning, and long-term operation of the building, creating a space that is not only more inclusive but more intuitive for everyone who uses it.

Accessibility delivers the greatest impact when it’s built in from the outset, rather than added later. For us, this project is a strong example of that in practice.

Read more: https://theharris.org.uk/press-news/tactile-maps/

The Harris has enhanced its visitor experience with the installation of new tactile wayfinding maps designed to improve navigation.

21/04/2026

E-commerce doesn’t have a problem attracting people, but it does have a problem with seeing its customers through to checkout.

Barriers for online customers are often subtle and overlooked in analytics: things like hard-to-read content, confusing layouts, poor navigation, or interactions that require too much effort.

Individually minor, accessibility issues like these collectively create enough resistance to drive users away at the point of intent.

That includes not just disabled people, but older adults, distracted users, and impulse buyers.

High-performing e-commerce sites, on the other hand, succeed by prioritising clarity, speed, and simplicity.

Design features that improve accessibility are, at their core, just good design.

Read more: https://directaccessgp.com/uk/news/retails-digital-revolution-has-an-accessibility-blind-spot-which-is-costing-millions/

Image Description: A close-up photograph shows a pair of hands positioned over a silver laptop. One hand rests on the trackpad while the other holds a credit card near the keyboard. The laptop keys are clearly visible, and the device appears to be open and in use. The scene is well-lit, with neutral tones and a soft background, creating a clean, modern setting that suggests an online transaction or digital activity.

20/04/2026

How accessible are the buildings we use every day?

The closed fist test is a simple way to find out.

From entrances and door handles to light switches and plug sockets, many features look accessible… until you actually try to use them.

Inclusive design in the built environment isn’t just about meeting standards; it’s about making spaces that everyone can navigate with ease.

Take a closer look next time you’re out and about and see what passes the .

18/04/2026

Ever thought about how accessible the products in your home really are?

The “closed fist test” is a simple way to check. If you can’t use something without gripping, pinching, or twisting, it might not work for everyone.

From kettles to door handles, seemingly small design choices can create big barriers. Inclusive design isn’t just for public spaces; it starts right at home.

Take a look around… what would pass in your house?

14/04/2026

Bad wayfinding means confusion, chaos, and questionable floor arrows.

Good wayfinding is a tactile map board doing its job properly, with raised tactile details you can actually feel, clear Braille labelling, high colour contrast, a proper key that makes sense, and sans serif text sized for real readability.

Because nobody should need a treasure map to find the toilets.

Take a look: https://directaccessgp.com/uk/products/tactile-map-boards/

Image description: Split image of a beige underground station hallway with overhead lights and directional floor markings. The left panel shows an open, empty walkway. The right panel shows the same corridor with a large blue-and-black freestanding tactile map board placed prominently in the middle. Text at the top reads, “you vs the guy she tells you not to worry about.”

08/04/2026

“Products you love, accessibility origins you didn’t know", part 2!

Electric kettles → safer, easier pouring
Shower mats → prevent slips and improve stability
Subtitles → make content accessible without sound

Accessibility doesn’t just help some people, it improves things for everyone ✅

05/04/2026

The best part of Easter weekend? Being together.
Accessibility should never put people on a different path.

04/04/2026

Most organisations assume that if someone can hear, they can understand. That assumption is costing real money.

When communication isn’t clear, customers drop off, staff waste time repeating themselves, and mistakes creep in. It’s not always obvious, but it shows up in lost sales, slower operations, and weaker client relationships.

Auditory processing impairments are a big part of this problem, and they’re widely misunderstood. These conditions don’t affect how well someone hears; they affect how the brain interprets sound.

So someone might pass a hearing test with no issues, yet still struggle to follow conversations, especially in noisy or fast-paced environments.

Organisations that make the choice to prioritise accessible communication are not only doing the right thing, but they are also opening their services to audiences who may otherwise be unable to access them. Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people worldwide experience some form of hearing loss or auditory difference.

Here are some ways to increase accessibility for individuals with auditory processing disabilities:

✔️ Thoughtful acoustic environments, which reduce miscommunication
✔️ Accessible media (captions, transcripts, written follow-ups), improving clarity and retention
✔️ Universal design choices, which supports everyone, not only disabled people.

Read more: https://directaccessgp.com/uk/news/building-better-experiences-through-accessible-communication/

02/04/2026

"Do I actually need an access audit?”
It's a question we hear a lot.

The short answer: no. However, there is a legal duty under the Equality Act to ensure your services are accessible.

Not being aware of barriers within your organisation does not remove that responsibility, nor does it provide a defence if challenged.

In practice, access audits have become the recognised standard for evidencing that duty.

Not all Access Audits are equal though! Quality, consistency, and accountability matter. Direct Access’ NRAC accredited audits are quality assured and fully indemnified.

Tom Morgan, Senior NRAC accredited access consultant explains:

01/04/2026

Direct Access is proud to announce the latest model of our innovative Tactile Map Boards.

Introducing; The PolyMap Ultra™.

Featuring a 10mm-thick hardened polycarbonate shield and tamper-proof fasteners forged from questionably necessary military-grade steel, this braille wayfinder has been rigorously field-tested against

⚒️ sledgehammers
☄️ meteor strikes
🪨 catapults
👻 poltergeists…

Built to survive everything except being ignored.

Get in touch today for a quote, we accept cash, card, bitcoin, and the occasional bottlecap.

26/03/2026

Most schools don’t have an accessibility problem.
They have an environment problem.

Accessibility is just where that problem becomes visible first.
Bottlenecked corridors. Poor acoustics. Confusing layouts.
Small design issues that create daily friction, and not occasionally, but every single day.

That friction shows up in ways schools feel immediately: lost teaching time between lessons, staff constantly stepping in to manage movement, behaviour issues that are often environmental rather than intentional, and ongoing reactive spend that never quite fixes the root cause.

At that point, it’s not a minor issue. It’s affecting how the school runs.
We see this a lot in the schools we work with.

What’s interesting is that when you start to address it properly, it’s rarely about doing anything dramatic. It’s about removing friction at source.

Clear signage. Layouts that make sense. Better lighting and acoustics.
Nothing groundbreaking, but when those basics aren’t right, everything becomes harder than it needs to be.

Accessibility, done properly, isn’t about a small group of students.
It changes how the whole environment functions.

Read More: https://directaccessgp.com/uk/news/why-accessibility-is-an-operational-advantage-for-schools/

20/03/2026

Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating today 🌙✨

We hope this special day brings lots of peace, happiness, and good vibes to you and your loved ones.

May your prayers be answered and your days be full of love and gratitude.