Food hall with Changing Places toilet
3
3
Date of visit: July 2026
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Average
Shelter Hall is a food hall that had different vendors inside and was located just off the main beach. You had to wait at the entrance to be seated by a member of staff. There were tables inside and out and it was very busy when I went. I didn’t stay and sit at any of the tables on this visit. Shelter Hall was also based at beach level which meant you had to use a ramp to get from the street down to the level it was on. The ramps available were quite steep. Around the corner from the main entrance there are some toilet facilities that are managed by Shelter Hall. This includes an accessible toilet and a Changing Places toilet. The Changing Places toilet was well-equipped and the equipment in there worked well. One major issue in the Changing Places toilet was the placement of the red emergency cord. It had been placed by the toilet and was in a fairly central location in the room. However, this then meant that it was a direct hazard for the ceiling hoist. When I entered, it had been looped over the top of one of the ceiling hoists which meant that it no longer reached the ground. However, when it hung freely to the floor it then became an obstruction for the ceiling hoist to move from its charging position to other areas in the room, mainly the height-adjustable bench.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
To reach Shelter Hall you have to travel down to the beach from the street. This requires using a ramp that is slightly further along the street. The ramp is quite steep and I found it difficult to get back up in my wheelchair. At the main entrance to Shelter Hall, you have to wait until a member of staff comes to seat you. There was indoor and outdoor seating but it was very busy when I went so I didn’t opt to sit in. The toilets are just around the corner from the main entrance on Shelter Hall, these are signposted with symbols that are easy to follow.
Accessible facilities: Seating at regular intervals, Step-free entrance
Parking & Transport
Average
I travelled to this place by walk or wheel
There is no dedicated parking at this venue. The closest public parking is an NCP car park which is roughly 500 metres away. Brighton Railway Station is roughly 1.1km away. The station is on higher ground than Shelter Hall and there are some quite steep roads between the two. There is a bus stop on King’s Road which is on the street which is above Shelter Hall. You can get the 77 bus from this stop.
Accessible Toilets
Average
The Changing Places toilet was clearly marked with a large Changing Places symbol on the door. The door had a RADAR key lock on the left side. It was a door with no resistance so it was light and easy to open and close. Inside it was clean and well-maintained and all the equipment worked well. To the left as you entered there was the height-adjustable sink. It was a wide basin with a tap in the centre. The tap had two long handles on either side of it, they both twisted outwards and separately controlled the flow of hot and cold water. There was a mirror above the sink which moved with it. Opposite the sink was the toilet, it had height-adjustable grab rails on either side of it. The toilet paper was looped onto one of them. The toilet had a lid and the cistern provided some back support. There was space for both a left- and right-side transfer. The flush was a small, circular button on one side of the cistern. It was the side that had more open space around it, so it was easy to reach. Next to the toilet, the ceiling hoist had been left in its charging position. The remote was hanging from one of the hoist arms and worked as expected. On the wall was information about how to operate the ceiling hoist safely. The hoist would need you to have your own sling with you to use it. In front of the door was the height-adjustable bench and shower facilities. The bench had been folded up against the wall and the remote was stowed on the side. It worked as expected and there were signs on the wall above it about how to use it safely. Shower facilities were placed on the wall at one end of the bench and the bench had drainage holes. There was also a privacy screen in this toilet which was folded away in one corner. This could be moved to anywhere in the room as it wasn’t attached to the wall. There was also another large mirror on the wall. There were two red emergency cords. One was hanging freely to the floor by the bench and shower. However, the other was placed by the toilet in a central part of the room and it had been looped over one of the tracking arms of the hoist. This meant that the cord was no longer hanging freely to the floor. However, when it was hanging freely, it became an obstruction for the ceiling hoist. Specifically, it became a major obstacle for the hoist to reach the bench. There was a smaller accessible toilet available in this area as well.
Facilities: Changing Places toilet, Changing Places toilet with shower, Accessible toilet
