Steve Walker wrote:

I feel that in most cases, it would be better not to generally provide
level access, ramps and other disabled friendly items, but to give 100%
grants for specific changes needed in each home, as and when required -
even for houses where disabled people only visit occasionally - thus not
burdening people with unnecessary designs that they do not want, while
providing exactly what they need, if required.

A sensible approach. The level-access / ramp requirement is presumably a
result of the all too common attitude that "disabled" means "in a
wheelchair". This does seem to be changing now, with "Not all disabilities
are visible" signs beginning to appear in various places, but as yet the
change doesn't appear to have percolated through to the building regs.