Overview

Going to Fountain Lane was a last-minute decision, prompted by the fact that it was listed as an accessible venue on Google. I attended with a friend who is also a manual wheelchair user, and there’s no better way to test a venue’s accessibility than by having more than one disabled person visit at the same time.

Transport & Parking

The nearest bus stop is on Donegall Place, 118 metres away, served by the 648, 649, and 649a services. The closest train services are at Belfast Grand Central Station, half a mile away, which also functions as a bus terminal. At the time of this review, ongoing works at the station made access difficult.

Access

This is a bit of a mixed bag, as I'd consider Fountain Lane suitable for the needs of my friend and me but I expect it would be a lot more challenging for those using powerchairs. There are two sets of doors at the entrance to the bar, where you'll find outdoor seating. The first set of doors was pinned open but the second set, which were heavy wooden doors, was closed. We first had to do a wheelie to get over the metal lip in the doorway, which is easier when you don't have anti-tip bars on your chair. We managed by working the doors between us but it was a bit of a struggle. We found a small table to the right of the bar and the barman was quick to move the two seats out of the way and bring our menus over. He was quick to highlight that he could bring anything we needed to our table. The accessible toilet can be found by following the large bar around, though the route is quite tight due to the stools and the metal footrail of the bar. During the night, a Trad Band started up, which was great, an Irish band in an Irish pub, but they set up on the main route to the accessible toilet. For this reason, it's useful to note that leaving the bar and taking a right leads you to another entrance through which you can access the accessible toilet. Still, it's not great to have to go outside if it's raining, which it does on average 154 days a year in Belfast. There were no alternative formats in use, and little in the way of signage.

Toilets

Beyond the challenge of getting there, the accessible toilet is pretty decent. The door opens inward and does not require a RADAR key for access, and the toilet is clean. There is space for a left-side transfer to the toilet. There's a narrow bin on the wall near the space, but it is not obstructive. The toilet has a contrasting seat and contrasting rails on either side. The red cord hangs to the right when seated and was not tied up when I visited. The small sink features a lever-style tap and has rails on either side. There is plenty of room to move in the toilet, which could accommodate a powerchair user and an additional two people. It also features a wall-mounted baby change table.

Staff

The staff were helpful, brought our drinks and menus over and assisted with the door when we were leaving.

Photos