4
More staff training needed
The Lift 109 experience is within Battersea Power Station - see separate review for the venue itself.
We booked tickets for 12 noon, along with "special assistance" which was an additional cost, in order to avoid the 39 steps involved in the initial part of the ascent.
Advised by the website to allow time to queue, and having been unable to locate and pick up the booked mobility scooter from the venue, we arrived at 11:40 but were told we should come back in 15 minutes- there was no seating visible, and when I asked for a seat for my dad the greeter suggested we walked back along the length of the venue and down an escalator to find a seat. Obviously I reiterated that was not possible - he then seemed to 'get it' and said they had a manual wheelchair we could borrow from them for the experience.
Once that arrived, we were left to guess when we should queue - eventually I asked someone in the queue and discovered they were booked for 12, so we joined! After receiving a green 'accessibility' wristband and security checks, we were placed in another queue... on a slope. After a few minutes I again asked for another solution, to move to the next queueing line which we could be at the bottom of, on the flat - which was accommodated.
Once inside the experience, it was great - the staff understood the accommodations needed, we had access to the additional lift and joined the rest of our party for the full ascent and descent - I'd recommend it, it was like Charlie & The Chocolate Factory when they go through the roof in the glass elevator! Incredible views.
Unfortunately, there were no toilets during the experience... at all, so be prepared for 40-50 minutes without facilities! They did prepare visitors for flashing lights and loud volume in the first part - a video projection room, and they did ask before each new section if all visitors were comfortable. They also gave good warnings about what was about to happen.
Overall, a mixed bag and I would suggest that for an experience which has been open over a year, including specific accessibility tickets, the staff should have more awareness and accommodations.
The Lift 109 experience is within Battersea Power Station - see separate review for the venue itself.
We booked tickets for 12 noon, along with "special assistance" which was an additional cost, in order to avoid the 39 steps involved in the initial part of the ascent.
Advised by the website to allow time to queue, and having been unable to locate and pick up the booked mobility scooter from the venue, we arrived at 11:40 but were told we should come back in 15 minutes- there was no seating visible, and when I asked for a seat for my dad the greeter suggested we walked back along the length of the venue and down an escalator to find a seat. Obviously I reiterated that was not possible - he then seemed to 'get it' and said they had a manual wheelchair we could borrow from them for the experience.
Once that arrived, we were left to guess when we should queue - eventually I asked someone in the queue and discovered they were booked for 12, so we joined! After receiving a green 'accessibility' wristband and security checks, we were placed in another queue... on a slope. After a few minutes I again asked for another solution, to move to the next queueing line which we could be at the bottom of, on the flat - which was accommodated.
Once inside the experience, it was great - the staff understood the accommodations needed, we had access to the additional lift and joined the rest of our party for the full ascent and descent - I'd recommend it, it was like Charlie & The Chocolate Factory when they go through the roof in the glass elevator! Incredible views.
Unfortunately, there were no toilets during the experience... at all, so be prepared for 40-50 minutes without facilities! They did prepare visitors for flashing lights and loud volume in the first part - a video projection room, and they did ask before each new section if all visitors were comfortable. They also gave good warnings about what was about to happen.
Overall, a mixed bag and I would suggest that for an experience which has been open over a year, including specific accessibility tickets, the staff should have more awareness and accommodations.
