Speakers

Ed Warner co-founded Motionspot, an award-winning inclusive design consultancy, in 2012 after witnessing firsthand how inaccessible and clinical design negatively impacted the life of his school friend, James Taylor, following a spinal cord injury in 2005. Responding to this lived experience, Ed envisioned a design consultancy dedicated to creating environments that beautifully blend form and function, spaces that empower and enrich, rather than resemble hospitals.

Under Ed’s leadership, Motionspot has grown into a RIBA award-winning industry leader in inclusive and accessible design, delivering thoughtfully designed solutions for workplaces, hotels, education, later-living developments, healthcare, retail, and care settings around the world. Motionspot’s consultancy and design advice embrace the full spectrum of human diversity addressing disability, neurodiversity, age, ethnicity, religion, gender, and more, making inclusion integral, not an afterthought.

Beyond the studio, Ed actively contributes to the advancement of inclusive design across the built environment. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the UK Government’s Sector Champion (or Disability Access Ambassador) for the design of spaces and products, a role that culminated in his being awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to disabled people.

Ed also plays a leading role in shaping industry standards and guidance. Motionspot contributed to the Inclusive Design Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work and the BSI PAS 6364 “Design for the Mind” guide, embedding inclusive principles across design and development processes.