Jean Hewitt

Jean is one of the leading practitioners in the field of Inclusive Design, having specialised in inclusive environments and accessibility since 2001.

A longstanding member of the BSI Committee “Design of an Accessible and Inclusive Environment”, Jean represents the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and several disability charities and is technical author for PAS 6463: “Design for the Mind – Neurodiversity and the Built Environment”. She is an active member of the Access Association and has been an accredited member of the National Register of Assess Consultants since 2003.

An Honorary Associate Professor at The Bartlett, Jean both developed and delivers the “Designing Inclusive Places” module for UCL’s MSc Health Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings programme.

She undertakes stakeholder engagement and regularly delivers training workshops to client organisations on a range of access and inclusion subjects.

Jean remains passionate about achieving exemplary access and pushing boundaries. She has a longstanding professional interest in safe evacuation for disabled people as well as taking an active interest in design considerations and guidance standards for mental wellbeing, neurodiversity, menopause and gender requirements.  She is a member of the EDI Focus Group for the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and Buro Happold’s Inclusion Council.

In 2022, Jean was selected as the new UK Government Disability and Access Ambassador focusing on the Built Environment. In this voluntary role, appointed by the Minister for Disabled People and managed by the Cabinet Office Disability Unit, the aim is to influence and drive improvements to the accessibility and quality of services and facilities for disabled people.