Adam Thomas has been designing kitchens with Richard Smithies, Director of Design Matters, for more than 25 years and is himself a wheelchair user.

Adam was provided with an adapted kitchen by his local council in 1982, but found that it was not fully accessible for him. He decided to address this issue for others with the help of Richard and the team at Design Matters. They began designing kitchens for disabled people on an informal basis, working with existing furniture, and attempting to adapt good quality standard cabinets as best they could. They found that their efforts were a start at meeting disabled people’s aspirations for independence.

In 1994 Adam took time out to devote himself to voluntary work on disability rights. He coordinated the ‘Rights Now’ campaign, which led to the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), and marked a turning point in independence and inclusion for disabled people in the UK. Adam was invited to join the accessibility working party for a joint venture between the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the National Housing Federation, to provide a voluntary code of practice on access for housing associations. During the course of this work, Adam saw numerous properties adapted specifically for people with a variety of impairments. It quickly became clear that current best practice was poor, and Adam realised that his personal understanding of accessible design could change lives.

Ten years on, and with hundreds of accessible kitchen designs to his credit, Adam continues to push for increased awareness of accessibility issues. He has been invited to speak on kitchen design for the Chairaware organisation based in Aylesbury, and at the Independent Living Show at Wembley. He has also lectured at London University. Design Matters runs occasional courses for teams of Occupational Therapists, and features regularly on TV and radio.

Adam has been asked to give his opinion as an expert witness for clients who require specialist designs and costings for their compensation claims, and writes regularly for Disability Now.

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