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September 17, 2025
Institute for Human Centered Design
Wednesday, September 17, 2205, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
About this event
Jacquel Runnalls (author) and Dr. Marney Walker (lead peer reviewer) will explore the reasoning behind, and an overview of, Habinteg's Inclusive Housing Design Guide and additional insights from Jacquel's work in practice
Housing occupational therapists bring a unique, person-centered approach to the design of accessible, adaptable, and inclusive housing development. Working with a diverse range of people of all ages and abilities in their own homes and communities provides them with insight into the barriers created by poor design. This, alongside overseeing the design and delivery of new build housing development from design concept through to post-occupancy evaluation, provides insights not usually attributed to other built environment professionals in the field.
The session will demonstrate why this guide is needed to address common misunderstandings in the interpretation of accessible design, the negative stigmatizing effect of institutional aesthetics, and explain why attention to detail is critical but often overlooked. It emphasizes the importance of inclusive access in connectivity to the local neighborhood, outside space (greenery, play) and explains how detailed technical drawings with real people demonstrates whether the space is fit for purpose, providing evidence to support greater circulatory and spatial requirements. It incorporates affordable, inclusive design solutions, including those to accommodate sensory and cognitive impairments such as the design and location of lighting, visual contrast, acoustics, and the guide is supported throughout by photos, case studies, and user insights to demonstrate lessons learnt.
About the Speakers
Jacquel Runnalls is a housing occupational therapist and accessible and inclusive environments specialist who oversees the design of inclusive, accessible, and adaptable housing development from concept design through to post occupancy evaluation with residents. Jacquel works across public and private sectors with a range of key stakeholders and has spent a career working with disabled and older people in their own homes.
She has previously worked on Mayor of London projects including Wheelchair Accessible Housing Best Practice Guidance and the London Accessible Housing Register. Her MSc in Accessibility and Inclusive Design dissertation considered Post Occupancy Evaluation with residents of new build wheelchair housing and she provided expertise to the English Government's Technical Housing Standards Review leading to new building regulations for housing.
Jacquel co-authored the Wheelchair Housing Design Guide (Habinteg, 2018), authored the Inclusive Housing Design Guide (Habinteg, 2024) and has been invited to give evidence to two parliamentary inquiries relating to housing for older and disabled People in the housing sector. She is currently a member of the British Standards B/559 committee (accessible and inclusive built environment) and the Access Association.
Dr. Marney Walker has a combination of skills and experience in occupational therapy and design research. She specializes in advising on design of inclusive and accessible housing. She developed her practice consulting on the design of supported and extra care and retirement living schemes collaborating with commissioners, architects, and contractors from initial concept through to post occupancy evaluations. Central to her practice is an interest in the impact of the environment on quality of life. Her doctoral research explored the expression of everyday aesthetic preferences in dementia through design. She was lead peer reviewer on the Inclusive Housing Design Guide (Habinteg, 2024); co-author of Adaptations without Delay (RCOT, 2019); and contributed to the Designing with disabled experience project (2025) part of the London GLA Good growth by Design inclusive guidance documents.
RSVP to The Inclusive Housing Design Guide on Eventbrite to Receive the Zoom Link
