The Department of Planning has affirmed its commitment to promoting accessibility for disabled people after criticism it was not doing enough.

A spokesman said the department was upholding inclusive design standards, where supported by legislation.

It came after the Human Rights Commission called on the department to look into “how and why the built and natural environments continue to be developed without meeting accessibility obligations”.

In its 2024 Disability Inclusion Report, the HRC said it was important the department understood such “shortcomings but also takes decisive action to rectify them”.

In addition, the HRC urged that planning officers received “comprehensive and ongoing training” in accessibility to ensure they were fully equipped to uphold inclusive design standards.

The Government responded that accessibility had been a cornerstone of the department’s planning policy, embedded within its strategic framework.

It said the Bermuda Plan 2018 emphasised that commitment through multiple references to accessibility.

The plan includes a dedicated policy, which mandates public buildings to be accessible to persons with physical disabilities, in alignment with the Bermuda Building Code.

It said: “The same policy also seeks to ensure that all facilities and amenities open to the public should be designed to ensure that they are barrier-free and useable to everyone regardless of age, size, ability or disability.”

It noted that the planning department also produced a comprehensive guidance note on accessibility and access statements, setting out details to accompany an access statement, should it be determined that one is required in association with a development proposal.

It was noted that accessibility is an “issue of strategic importance” within the recently adopted City of Hamilton Plan 2025.

It requires developments to consider and accommodate people with a range of physical abilities and incorporate universal design principles where possible.

The Government said Bermuda’s Building Code included international guidelines, including Accessible and Useable Buildings and Facilities standards.

Such frameworks are designed to provide broad, consistent guidance for accessible design and are applied as comprehensively as possible.

The Government said it was important to note that while accessibility requirements could be more effectively enforced in the case of new commercial developments — where legislative provisions were clear — there could be significant challenges in applying the same level of enforcement to existing buildings undergoing partial renovations.

In many such cases, the Government said the regulatory framework did not mandate full accessibility upgrades unless the scope of work met specific thresholds.