London Aquatics Centre

Date of visit: May 2015

I have experience of challenges around: dexterity or coordination and moving around.

Overall Rating

The Aquatics Centre is advertised as being "the most technologically advanced and stunning swimming facility in the World". That may well be true if you are a swimmer - though Blue Badge users will face a long trek to the facilities - but if you are a wheelchair-using spectator then you will often find better provision in much older venues. As a local with free tickets we still enjoyed the event, but would have been very disappointed if we'd paid and/or travelled further.

Disabled Access In and Around

Wheelchair-users’ spectator access to the competition area is restricted to the very back of the venue, up in the roof where it is also very hot and humid and visibility is poor. Families and friends cannot sit together; there is just one (small, uncomfortable) companion seat per wheelchair space. There is nothing dividing the wheelchair seating from the corridor behind where popcorn etc is sold, which is intrusive. The limited number of wheelchair spaces were reduced further by situating the PA speakers in them, which were very loud.

Parking & Transport

Both the Blue Badge parking zone and the drop-off point are much further away from the venue entrance (itself up one floor via an unmarked lift) than anyone can walk who qualifies for a Badge. If your mobility is restricted, don't think about coming here without a powered chair or scooter, or - unless you are a Paralympian - someone to push you in a manual chair. Not sure how this got past the planners.

Accessible Toilets

0

I crossed my legs rather than travel the distance back to the entrance where the nearest toilets appeared to be.

Staff

The venue staff were very rude to one of our PAs when she arrived early to check out the access, but the security staff were later very helpful when it turned out that the Box Office had given our party (5 wheelchair users plus 2 PAs) the wrong tickets.

Additional Information

If you are a wheelchair user and don't have good eyesight, or find a lot of loud noise and constant bustle around you and behind you spoils your enjoyment of an event, don't consider coming here.

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