Overview

I generally am a big fan of the Assembly Rooms but was disappointed on this trip. While the Stand staff were friendly, I got the impression they hadn't had disability equality training. Staff seemed nervous around wheelchair users and didn't let us know what the plan was for getting us into the venue. In the end we went in last and felt like we were holding up the show trying to get into the space allocated. I actually found the whole experience unnecessarily stressful. When we came out of the show, there were large amounts of baggage in front of the lift. Given there were several members of staff around, I'm surprised they had let people leave it there. Some pretty simple changes would have made the experience a lot better.

Transport & Parking

5

There are spaces reserved for disabled visitors just in front of the venue which is great. Lots of public transport too.

Access

3.5

The physical access in terms of the building was good, but the festival experience wasn't great due to staff (see above), and the lay out of the ballroom. During festival time, there is a large seating structure and very high stage (perhaps only for the performance we went to, I'm not sure) meaning that wheelchair users are in something comparable to a trench in between. It was very difficult to see what was happening on the stage.

Toilets

5

Very good

Staff

2

Staff were friendly enough but seemed nervous around disabled people and didn't give us any real assistance. At the performance we attended there were several wheelchair users and staff didn't engage with any ahead of the show to mention what the plan was for getting in the venue (see more comments above).