Great collection documenting Arab history and civilisation but there are accessibility issues
4
4
Date of visit: June 2017
I am a carer or friend of a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Good
The Institute houses a library, bookshop, cafe, spaces for temporary exhibitions and a museum of Arab history and culture. The building is very striking, both outside and in, and the museum is spacious and has many beautiful and interesting items. Well worth a visit but...
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
The entrance is in the courtyard. Thee are steps down into the courtyard, and wheelchair users need to hesd to the right to reach the point where the steps give way to a gentle slope. Entrance to the building is through automatic double doors but (surprisingly) exit is through manual double doors which are quite heavy. All levels are accessible by lift and there are plenty of lifts. Wheekchair users and accompanists are admitted free. You can hire an audioguide and we wish we had. The captions are quite hard to read, though they are at a sensible level for wheelchair users. Some are in English and Arabic as well as in French. Many are printed in a light brown colour which is not easy on the eye. Some are orinted on the glass cases containing the exhibits and reflections make them even more difficult to read.
Parking & Transport
Excellent
Can't comment on the parking. Buses 24, 63, 67, 86, 87 and 89 will get you there from different parts of the city, and the Institute is centrally located on the left bank of the Seine.
Accessible Toilets
Poor
There were allegedly accessible loos on all the floors we visited, but the Institute's idea of an accessible loo is a large room with a low level toilet at one end, an accessible washbasin at the other and no grab rails or alarm system. Side transfer would in theory be possible but difficult, perhaps even dangerous in the absence of grab rails. Wheelchair user and accompanist really struggled to make use of this facility, and there was no loo paper.
Staff
Good
Courteous and helpful at the ticket desk. Whoever has the job of checking on the loo paper must have been having an off day, or perhaps a day off.
Additional Information
Well worth a visit despite the reservations expressed above.
