EG FUTURE LEADERS 2024: Carolyn Morgan-Welker, associate, planning & environment, Clyde & Co
Clyde & Co senior associate Carolyn Morgan-Welker wasted no time in getting her message heard during her EG Future Leaders speech. “The built environment is sexist and ableist,” she almost yelled at the audience, before listing a myriad of everyday examples.
Within a few short minutes the audience was made aware of dozens, if not hundreds, of seemingly little things in the design and development of our environment that make it less accessible, or even inaccessible, to women, parents and the less abled. Things like steps into shops or restaurants that are impassable for wheelchair users or parents with prams, a lack of drop kerbs on our streets, a lack of street lighting, beautifully decorated but poorly designed changing rooms. All seemingly simple things that work to turn away the 10.4m people with disabilities living in the UK and 50% of the population who identify as female.
To stop being sexist and ableist, Morgan-Welker called on the audience to make gender mainstreaming the norm in the built environment. The concept recognises that men and women are different and have different needs and expectations and takes these into account.
“I’m not saying that we don’t already cater for these things, but we are not doing enough right now,” said Morgan-Welker. “And every time we are just doing a tick-box exercise, we aren’t truly considering the needs of the people who need to use them, and if they can’t use them, it’s basically meaningless.”
She added: “I want gender mainstreaming to become the norm. I don’t want a single thing more to be built in this country that isn’t truly inclusive for women or accessible. I want you to be bold. I want you to be brave.”
The reasons to be brave are clear. Every time an individual doesn’t come into a shop or restaurant, doesn’t buy a home, or doesn’t want to come and work in your office because it’s not truly accessible and inclusive, that is money you are losing, explained Morgan-Welker.
But while the built environment is currently ableist and sexist, it doesn’t have to be, she concluded. And the power to change that remains firmly in the real estate industry’s hands.
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