Access Auditor & Inclusive Design Consultant

Sam Yates is an NRAC-accredited Access Auditor and Inclusive Design Consultant with a professional background in commercial property law and teaching, alongside lived experience as a parent and carer of a child with Muscular Dystrophy.

Sam has a particular interest in improving accessibility in heritage and cultural settings, as well as sports and leisure venues. His work focuses on helping organisations identify and remove barriers, improve visitor experiences and make their facilities and services more welcoming and inclusive.

His expertise includes access auditing, design appraisals, disability awareness training, consultation and practical advice on reasonable adjustments. He also helps organisations improve pre-visit information, wayfinding and everyday operational practices to make their services more accessible.

Sam’s recent projects include accessibility work at Nottingham Hockey Centre, a community discovery centre in London and a multi-use theatre and arts venue. He also volunteers as an access adviser with Leeds Civic Trust, contributing to accessible heritage initiatives, and has been developing disability and accessibility training for West Yorkshire Police.

His background in mediation informs his collaborative approach to consultation and problem solving. He combines professional expertise with personal experience to help organisations make practical, proportionate improvements that benefit disabled people and their families.

Alongside his consultancy work, Sam has developed a particular interest in mediation and the role that creating safe spaces for facilitated conversations can play in addressing accessibility and inclusion challenges and resolving potential conflict at an early stage. He combines professional expertise with personal experience to help organisations deliver accessibility and inclusion with confidence.

Sam supports Visits Unlimited in its work to improve accessibility and inclusion.