The Core Library

For the most part this was a lovely Changing Places toilet. It was well equipped, the equipment seemed to be well-maintained and the toilet as a whole was clean. The ceiling hoist and height-adjustable bench had instructions on how to use them on the walls which I think is always important. The walls were very vibrant, three had deep blue tiles and the last had large pink and purple stripes. The lights were also very bright in here. Some may find the environment a bit overwhelming. My main issues with this were that there were some wheelchairs and other equipment being stored in the toilet. These were obstructing easy access to the bench and the privacy screen. It's great that they have extra equipment but I would rather it wasn't stored in this toilet. I also found it incredibly difficult to find it. There was clear signage for the other toilets on the ground floor which felt misleading as there wasn't any signage at all for the Changing Places toilet. In the end I had to ask a member of staff where to go. I think the signage for this toilet could be improved. Once I had found the toilet I did think it was a good facility. It was well-equipped and seemed well-maintained. I personally quite liked the decor but it may not be to everyone's taste! It's location in the centre of Solihull was ideal as well.

This was a nice library located just outside of the Touchwood shopping centre. It covered two floors and there was also a theatre and a café. I wasn’t able to look at the theatre but the library and café were both quite large and had lots of natural light, even though it was a grey and rainy day when I was there! The library had some manned information desks as well as self-service kiosks for checking books out and returning them. There were many different genres of books available across the ground and first floors. Different styles and set-ups of tables, chairs and desks were available across the two floors too. The first floor seemed to be for more focused, quiet work. It had a lot more seating than shelving, unlike the ground floor. It also had individual desks and computer stations. Most of the shelving units weren’t floor-to-ceiling with many of the highest shelves still being within my reach from my wheelchair. The flooring throughout the library was carpeted but not a type that made it difficult for me to push around in my wheelchair. The café had a linoleum floor instead, and this also continued into the corridor for the toilets as well as into the toilet. There was a small accessible toilet on both the ground and first floors. On the ground floor there was also a Changing Places Toilet.