Adam Thomas

He / Him
Accessible Kitchen Design Consultant
Adam Thomas Consultancy

Award category:

Science, Engineering, Technology, Property and Construction

Adam Thomas is an independent design consultant, acknowledged as a world leader in accessible, multi-generational and inclusive kitchen design. With 40 years’ of lived experience and professional practice, Adam’s ambition is to change the face of accessible kitchen design and enable access for all – by designing flexible, high-quality kitchens with a full choice of colours and materials.

For more than 30 years, his kitchen designs have been transforming homes across the country. Adam uses innovative design solutions to set new standards in his field. Working with private clients, case managers, architects, personal injury solicitors and occupational therapists, he develops unique, tailored accessible kitchens that allow people to live independently in safe surroundings with significantly improved quality of life.

Adam is a specialist consultant to a number of ground-breaking initiatives working towards disability equality in housing, and writes for newspapers and magazines. He has been a Visiting Lecturer, and continues to provides tailored training for small groups of professionals, including architects, case managers and occupational therapists. He has trained many hundreds of people using his accessible design principles. He also supports expert witnesses in injury compensation claims as a subject matter expert in accessible kitchen design.

Adam has partnered with Symphony Kitchens since 2016 to bring cutting edge accessible design to the mass market. He designed the Freedom range of furniture and has trained Symphony dealers in many parts of the UK. With Symphony, he has created a network of accessible kitchen showrooms across the country, with an additional six opening in the past 12 months. Adam has proven that the purple pound is a good business proposition for the homes sector, once again doubling turnover for Symphony from accessible kitchens in 2023-24.

In his 20s and 30s, Adam was the coordinator of the Rights Now campaign an active campaigner for disability legislation– now part of the Equality Act 2010. He believes passionately in equality. Adam is married to equity, diversity and inclusion advisor Agnes Fletcher.

He is the proud father of daughter Cara and the besotted owner of Jack Russell cross Colin.

It’s so important to celebrate the successes and achievements of disabled people in the UK in a range of fields. There is much that still needs to change, and I remain a campaigner at heart, but we also need to recognise what amazing things, big and small, disabled people are doing every day.

Q&A

Adam Thomas
To younger disabled people, and to people who have recently become disabled, I would say find your strengths and work to them. If you do, the sky’s the limit!
I am immensely proud of the work I did with others in the 1990s to change the law on disability and to bring in anti-discrimination legislation for the first time in Britain. The hard work of implementing legislation started then – and continues. My part now is giving people the tools to be as independent as possible in their own homes. Decent accessible housing should be a basic human right for everyone. We aren’t there yet. I know what it’s like to struggle unnecessarily in your own home and to have little input into all that the kitchen represents – food, fun, nurturing yourself and others. I feel as though I have brought that joy to hundreds of disabled people – but I know there are many more who do not yet live in an accessible home environment. The fight goes on!
To change the housebuilding industry and design standards to ensure that every disabled person has a decent accessible home and can enjoy the greater independence that comes though good, person-centred design.
Cooking is my passion! I cook every day for my family, with a Sunday roast every week. I also love hosting and hanging out with friends. You’ll also find me at every Arsenal home match – although that’s often pretty nail-biting!
My family – the humans and my dog Colin. I spend hours throwing the ball for him. I do it for him – and I think he thinks he is fetching it for me! Either way, we both enjoy it.
I’ve had several dogs over the years and Colin, who is now five, is just amazing. I did also have Trevor the cat for about 10 years, and he was amazing – more like a dog in many ways.
Making sure that every single disabled person has a decent, warm, accessible home where they can thrive.
Many things have improved in the 30+ years that I’ve been campaigning and trying to influence change but there are huge issues still – poverty, poor housing, insufficient resourcing for education, a health system that picks up the pieces but doesn’t prevent things getting bad. As someone who has lived for 43 years with paralysis following a spinal injury, I know how important the NHS is, how wonderful it can be. But often, things that could be prevented aren’t. I’ve recently become an ambassador for Spinal Research Stoke Mandeville and that is all about advocating for people to have good healthcare and the best life possible.
A bank of kitchen cabinets in dark green with 'hide and slide' ovens and pull-out shelves underneath them.

Areas of expertise

Accessibility, Disability Advocacy, Equality

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