Excellent accessibility and staff, dreadful toilet
3
3
Date of visit: May 2015
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet
Overall Rating
Average
Easy accessibility, step-free entrance, and lovely staff. The toilet lets the place down, and loses it two stars in the overall rating.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
Easy to get into the shop via the step-free entrance, easy to navigate around the shop. Also potentially easy to become imprisoned in the toilet. See below.
Parking & Transport
Good
Richmond Station is nearby and staff are always on hand to provide ramp and other assistance. Many bus routes serve Richmond.
Accessible Toilets
Poor
The accessible toilet is at the back. It would be fine but for several really bad problems. (1) The red emergency cord is much too short, useless to anyone who falls to the floor. (2) Big bins block the wheelchair transfer area. (3) The doorknob for releasing the door to get out of the toilet cubicle is much too high on the door for many wheelchair users - a particularly stupid piece of design. For all three problems, see my attached pictures.
Staff
Good
The staff were really lovely, and bent over backwards to be helpful, and to accompany me to the toilet, open doors, and so on. One star lost because of a general failure to grasp what's required in an accessible toilet.
Additional Information
10th July 2015 update: the toilet door lock has been lowered and the red cord has been lengthened. The red cord was tucked behind the bins and so was completely useless. These huge bins are STILL blocking the wheelchair transfer area.
