Very good apart from lift and toilet problems
2.5
2.5
Date of visit: December 2016
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
Wheelchair access at this museum is generally very good, but I encountered some annoyances with lifts and toilets.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
The entrance is step-free as is the entire museum. However, signage and lifts caused several problems: - One of the main lifts between floors at the front of the building was out of order, leading to prolonged waits for the other lift. - The lift to the upper level in the 3rd floor aeronautics gallery was out of order, and although it's the only lift to the upper level, there was a stupid sign on it saying 'Please use adjacent lift'!! - 3rd floor signage to accessible toilets points wheelchair users to a staircase! How utterly stupid!
Parking & Transport
Poor
There are no step-free stations nearby. Several bus routes will drop you off at South Kensington Station or outside the Victoria and Albert Museum or the Natural History Museum, from where it's a short roll/walk to the Science Museum.
Accessible Toilets
Poor
The 3rd floor "accessible" toilet near the special exhibitions area is NOT accessible. It's tiny, you can't turn around inside it in your wheelchair, there are insufficient grab-rails, and the red cord is much too short - it would be impossible to reach it if you fell to the floor in the often precarious transfer from wheelchair to toilet and back. See my photos below. This toilet is a disgrace. I tried also a toilet on the 2nd floor, which was laid out more intelligently.
Staff
Average
All the staff I encountered were helpful, and seemed genuinely concerned about the problems I pointed out. Two stars deducted for the staff who have permitted the various annoying items above to exist and persist.
Additional Information
This museum needs to undergo a thorough accessibility audit from the point of view not only of wheelchair users but also of Deaf and visually impaired visitors. Many things have been very badly thought-through, and you will find several annoyances on your visit.
