Adam Thomas
Designer and Influencer at Adam Thomas Consultancy
Visual Arts, Fashion and Design
Adam Thomas is the UK’s leading accessible kitchen designer. He has established a reputation for innovative design that sets the standard for the industry. Born out of lived experience, years of research and professional practice, Adam has developed kitchen design principles that are transforming homes and lives across the country. He was consultant kitchen designer for the London 2012 Athletes’ Village and his work led to revisions to the specification for accessible kitchens within Approved Doc M of the Building Regulations.
Adam is the winner of the inaugural Kitchen Bedrooms and Bathrooms Association Accessible/Inclusive Room Designer of the Year and an industry Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been a guest lecturer on the Kitchen Design degree course at Buckinghamshire New University and frequently advises personal injury solicitors. He regularly trains architects, building control and disability grant officers, and groups of occupational therapists. Adam also writes on design for publication.
Adam has worked to the principles of universal, inclusive design for more than 30 years. He has been instrumental in developing the concept of multi-generational living as a design principle with the Royal Society of Arts and other leading design influencers.
His markets span high-end premium quality kitchens for disabled individuals to social housing designs for whole developments.
His partnership with The Symphony Group, one of the biggest kitchen retailers in Britain, led to the hugely successful Freedom range – designed to provide bespoke, accessible kitchens at scale through a nationwide network of retailers whose designers have received specialist training from Adam on accessible kitchen design.
In his 20s and 30s, Adam was a coordinator for the Rights Now campaign for anti-discrimination legislation. He is married to equality, diversity and inclusion advisor Agnes Fletcher, proud father of Cara and besotted pet of Jack Russell cross Colin.
“It’s a huge honour to be chosen by my peers for the Disability Power 100 2023. This has been an incredibly exciting year in my quest to bring quality accessible kitchens to disabled people throughout the UK. I’ve helped Symphony design, place and launch the Freedom kitchen range into eight accessible showrooms – the latest being in Edinburgh.
The Freedom range was a Finalist for the KBB Product Award of the SBID Global Interior Design Awards 2022 and Product Innovation Finalist at the Designer Awards 2022. I’m delighted that the message is getting through to others in the mainstream kitchen market that universal design and quality accessible products are a commercial proposition. But what’s set Symphony apart is that from the start they’ve put a disabled designer in the driving seat.”
Disability Power 100 2023 profile information has been self-submitted by the profile subject. Shaw Trust understands and respects that disability and impairment descriptors and language use varies from person to person. Shaw Trust assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or discrepancies in the content of this, or any other, profile page.
Image credits: Anthony Gould Davies, Taylist Media
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