Museum in the Park | 27th June 2019

Accessibility Rating 

Physical 

Five out of five 

Sensory 

Five out of five 

Location: Museum in the Park
Stratford Park
Stratford Road
Stroud
GL5 4AF

Parking 

There are two accessible spaces directly outside the entrance. This is accessed through a barrier in the leisure centre car park. There is a buzzer to speak to someone in the leisure centre who will open the barrier on request. This is well signposted and easy to find.

Entrance

The entrance to Museum in the Park is through an open gate that is wide enough for a wheelchair and takes you into a courtyard with 3 tables. These have chairs that can easily be moved so a wheelchair can sit underneath comfortably. There are also umbrellas on each table that provide shade.
The entrance to the building has automatic opening doors with plenty of space for a wheelchair. The doors stay open for an appropriate amount of time, so individuals don’t have to worry about them closing as they are passing through. The foyer is open plan and leaves plenty of space for multiple people without any worry of causing obstruction.

Reception

The reception is directly in front as you enter the building. There is a lowered counter for wheelchair users of people of a smaller stature to communicate with the receptionist with ease.
To the left of the counter is a fridge containing drinks, and a counter with a coffee machine and choice of snacks. These can be consumed at the multiple tables inside or on the tables outside. The tables are a good height and have plenty of leg room for a wheelchair to sit underneath comfortably. There is also a gift shop to the right of the reception that has some lowered shelves so items can easily be reached by wheelchair users and people of a smaller stature.

Gallery

There are two galleries accessed by a ramp with a textured surface. The ramp is also a contrasting colour to the floor, so this with the textured surface means is can be easily identified and makes the visually impaired aware that there is a change in gradient. The gallery is open plan and spacious allowing for plenty of people to see the artwork without anyone causing obstruction. We were only able to view one gallery as the other was being used for dementia awareness training. This is hugely positive and shows that the employees and volunteers at Museum in the Park are well informed for any circumstances.

Walled Garden

There is a beautiful walled garden at the back of the museum and access is gained via automatic doors. There are both stairs and a ramp to the top of the garden. The ramp snakes around the steps and throughout the whole garden, taking you through all the stunning flowers and gives you the full experience of the garden making it a better route than the steps. The pathways throughout the garden are smooth and wide enough for a wheelchair user. It is clear that accessibility was a main consideration when designing the garden and it really is a great, inclusive experience for everyone.

Museum

To the right of the entrance is the museum. The signage in the museum is very clear and each doorway directs you in the correct way to turn to ensure you gain the full experience. The museum has a good layout with plenty of space for a wheelchair user to navigate with ease.
The museum is on two floors and there is clear signage to the lift. The lift is big enough to fit a wheelchair user and an assistant and the buttons are at a correct height. There is a loud beep that sounds when you call the lift, this may cause alarm. The beeping stops when the lift has arrived.
Some of the information around the museum is in a small font that can be difficult to read. However, there are large print information sheets and magnifying glasses that can be requested at reception.
There are benches at multiple different points around the museum meaning someone with limited mobility doesn’t have to worry about having to walk around the museum without a break.

Accessible Toilet

The accessible toilet is to the left as you enter. There is a separate accessible toilet and baby change facility which have clear signs. The doorway is the correct width for an accessible toilet. The room is large at 1800mm x 2500mm and has plenty of room for an assistant and turning space for a wheelchair. The toilet seat is 46cm from the ground which is 2 cm below the recommended height. There is a cushioned back rest on the toilet for added comfort and support.
All of the amenities are at a lowered height and there are 2 mirrors and 2 coat hooks. The grab-rails are well placed and there is also a lowered grab-rail on the inside of the door for ease of opening and closing. The accessible toilet has tissue paper instead of toilet roll. This is positive as toilet roll is difficult for someone with limited dexterity or the use of only one hand to tear off.
The floor is non-slip and the grab-rails are a contrasting colour to the walls making them easy to identify for the visually impaired.
There is an emergency pull cord against the wall next to the toilet. The toilet brush obstructs this and as it is against the wall it is likely it would be difficult to pull in an emergency.

Park Area

Outside the front of the museum is the park. This is quite hilly, however there are numerous benches around the park so people can stop and rest when necessary. There are also picnic benches which have space on either end for a wheelchair user to sit under comfortably. The surface to the benches is very uneven though and may cause difficulty when gaining access. There is a round sheltered area in the park but access can only be gained via steps. There is another shelter near the picnic benches that is step free. There are plenty of bins around the park and it is kept in a lovely condition. Some of the trees in the pathway are quite low hanging and may cause alarm if someone with a visual impairment doesn’t notice them.