1
House of Bruar... failing
Unfortunately, this site falls incredibly short of what is required to be considered suitable and accessible for individuals with disabilities.
I can only really comment in relation to accessibility for an individual with mobility related disabilities, I am not in a position to have an opinion in other areas of accessibility.
I will start with a huge positive, as I like to find the good whenever I can. The staff (on the whole) are incredible. They are polite, thoughtful, considerate and readily and professionally give offers of assistance.
However, the site at 'The World Famous' House of Bruar is a vast site in the heart of Scotland. The car park is massive and predominantly loose gravel. There are a very small, limited number of accessible parking bays on a harder standing, but these are few and far between and at busy times fill up incredibly quickly. The nature of the site means that there is not a fast turn over of availability, once the spaces are filled they will be occupied for hours not minutes.
For such a huge site, set in multiple buildings, some at quite a distance from others, the logistics of getting around the site are 'problematic' to say the least. The site is also set at multiple levels.
There is, what they call, an accessibility lift (only 1 for the entire site) however there is zero signage to locate this lift and to access it you have to ask (before you ask you need to know it exists) a member of staff. This member of staff will then have to escort you around the back of the public shop, through a keycode locked 'Staff Only' door into the narrow, stock filled, back passages behind the shop to a tiny lift. They will escort you in the lift which takes you to the other main level, exiting into a narrow stock filled back passage behind the menswear department, and then back through another locked security door back into the public area.
Now we get to the accessible toilet situation...
For this vast site, set out over multiple levels and in multiple buildings, there is just 1 solitary, individual 'accessible toilet/baby changing room'.
I say there is 1, however, this single provision is accessible in name only. It is tiny, I would guess it used to be a cleaning store cupboard that has been converted. It is TINY. Yes, it has a red cord (and yes when I went the cord was hanging correctly) and it does have grab rails, but, if you have a larger, or power, wheelchair or need a bit a space to turn around or to be able to use the facilities... forget it.
During House of Bruar's famous annual sale there will be thousands (I really do mean thousands) of people and still just this one single individual 'accessible' toilet.
I really wish I could be more positive but I hope this review is helpful for some who might be considering visiting this site.
Unfortunately, this site falls incredibly short of what is required to be considered suitable and accessible for individuals with disabilities.
I can only really comment in relation to accessibility for an individual with mobility related disabilities, I am not in a position to have an opinion in other areas of accessibility.
I will start with a huge positive, as I like to find the good whenever I can. The staff (on the whole) are incredible. They are polite, thoughtful, considerate and readily and professionally give offers of assistance.
However, the site at 'The World Famous' House of Bruar is a vast site in the heart of Scotland. The car park is massive and predominantly loose gravel. There are a very small, limited number of accessible parking bays on a harder standing, but these are few and far between and at busy times fill up incredibly quickly. The nature of the site means that there is not a fast turn over of availability, once the spaces are filled they will be occupied for hours not minutes.
For such a huge site, set in multiple buildings, some at quite a distance from others, the logistics of getting around the site are 'problematic' to say the least. The site is also set at multiple levels.
There is, what they call, an accessibility lift (only 1 for the entire site) however there is zero signage to locate this lift and to access it you have to ask (before you ask you need to know it exists) a member of staff. This member of staff will then have to escort you around the back of the public shop, through a keycode locked 'Staff Only' door into the narrow, stock filled, back passages behind the shop to a tiny lift. They will escort you in the lift which takes you to the other main level, exiting into a narrow stock filled back passage behind the menswear department, and then back through another locked security door back into the public area.
Now we get to the accessible toilet situation...
For this vast site, set out over multiple levels and in multiple buildings, there is just 1 solitary, individual 'accessible toilet/baby changing room'.
I say there is 1, however, this single provision is accessible in name only. It is tiny, I would guess it used to be a cleaning store cupboard that has been converted. It is TINY. Yes, it has a red cord (and yes when I went the cord was hanging correctly) and it does have grab rails, but, if you have a larger, or power, wheelchair or need a bit a space to turn around or to be able to use the facilities... forget it.
During House of Bruar's famous annual sale there will be thousands (I really do mean thousands) of people and still just this one single individual 'accessible' toilet.
I really wish I could be more positive but I hope this review is helpful for some who might be considering visiting this site.
