Overview

A brilliant place to visit in a wheelchair - almost everything is just right

Transport & Parking

Several bus routes will drop you off just outside. The nearest tube station is South Kensington, which is totally non-step-free and completely useless to a wheelchair user. The nearest step-free station is Earl's Court, which is 1¼ miles away. I wouldn't dream of trying to park in this area.

Access

A gentle ramp brings you to the main entrance at the front of the museum. There are ramps where needed throughout the museum, and excellent lifts to all locations. Because it's an old building, the lifts are a bit complex - not every lift goes to every floor, but staff know the lift configurations well and are very happy to advise you, and even escort you to the nearest lift. The museum has a stock of wheelchairs which you can borrow while you're there (free of charge), just help yourself. You can also book these wheelchairs in advance. See my photo below.

Toilets

Plenty of good accessible toilets in many places throughout the museum. The ground floor one, near the main entrance, sometimes has no water supply to the handbasin, I've reported this to staff a few times and they are always very concerned and friendly about it, so if you find problems, report them to a member of staff. One recurring problem with the accessible toilets is that the red emergency cord has been tucked away out of reach. This is dangerous and thoughtless. The red emergency cord must hang freely all the way to the floor at all times, so that it can be reached by anyone who falls over and needs to summon assistance. Tucking it away out of reach is putting people's safety - and possibly even their lives (in the case of serious injury following a bad fall) - at risk.

Staff

Friendly and helpful staff scattered all over the museum - they wear orange vests so they're easy to identify. Sometimes they are a bit intrusive and over-helpful. I would prefer a more tactful approach. I was also dismayed to find on a recent visit (December 2021) that several members of staff stood much too close to me while chatting - this did NOT feel Covid-safe. The café staff are really excellent and will bend over backwards to help with carrying your tray, helping you find a table, etc.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The V&A is an excellent place to visit if you're a wheelchair or powerchair user, and a great place to socialise with friends. The food is great, the staff are friendly, you can get to ALL the exhibits, and in the summer the inner courtyard is a lovely place to hang out and chat. Strongly recommended. Don't miss the crammed porcelain cabinets on the fourth floor. If you have reduced mobility, the wheelchairs on offer for loan (free of charge) during your visit are a big plus point. For reasons of Covid-safety, to ensure that the museum does not become over-crowded, the V&A now insists that you book your visit in advance. This booking is free of charge and the booking system exists purely to control numbers and prevent over-crowding. I have not ticked the 'Covid-confident' box above because I did not feel entirely Covid-safe at the museum. This is because members of staff stood MUCH too close to me while chatting or offering advice/assistance.

Photos