A Victory for Accessibility?
4
4
Date of visit: February 2025
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment, accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: changing places toilet, disabled toilet, hidden impairment, powerchair, toilet with hoist, toilets, walking aid, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Good
First opened in 2008, Victoria Square is a little more modern than the nearby CastleCourt Shopping Centre. The centre boasts over 55 shops, 16 restaurants and a cinema. It also features a unique attraction: The Dome, which offers 360-degree panoramic views of Belfast, accessible by lift. It certainly feels a little more special than your average shopping centre.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
I came to Victoria Square Shopping Centre via William Street, coming up to ground level. You’ll find stairs just at the entrance, which have tactile paving at the top and handrails on each side. There's also a ramp around to the left. Take that and you’ll find the lifts nearby, which you can use to go downstairs. The lifts have Braille markings next to the buttons. The centre itself is quite open and spacious, with no shortage of comfortable seating, especially on the lower level. But it’s worth noting the space is open-air, so it can get pretty chilly in the colder months. I also visited the Ann Street entrance, which has ramps and stairs with rails immediately as you come in. There are loads of eateries here, including Yo! Sushi, along with many of the big-name chain stores you’d expect. Upstairs there’s a cinema and a kids’ play area too. If you take the same lift to go upstairs, you can visit The Dome, as you exit the lift, there are heavy glass doors but there's a member of staff there to hold the door open if you need it. If you're visiting Victoria Square, I highly recommend visiting their website, as it provides audio and visual guides to the centre. You can also hire a free sensory pack, which includes Ear Defenders, a Sensory Fan, a Radar Key, a Fidget Toy, a Light Up Spike Ball, and an I.C.E Wristband. These are available at Customer Services on the Lower Ground floor, next to Rituals. Noted quiet times are as follows: Mon 11:00am to 12:00pm, Tue 11:00am to 12:00pm, Wed 9:30am to 11:00am, Thu and Fri 6:00pm to 9:00pm, Sat 9:00am to 12:00pm, and Sun 1:00pm to 2:00pm. The dedicated quiet time is on Wed from 9:30am to 11:00am. I would have given Victoria Squarea higher rating if I had seen more support for deaf visitors - but overall, pretty impressive.
Parking & Transport
Good
A car park is available and spills over two levels. I didn’t spot any pay points at first, but there is signage about charges, so I assume it’s managed that way. I checked out the accessible parking spaces while I was down there. They seemed a bit narrow compared to most I’ve seen. You can open the doors on either side, but it’s a tighter squeeze than usual. There are plenty of parking bays in general, just not many clearly marked accessible ones. If you're coming by bus, the closest bus stop is on Victoria Street, where the following routes operate: 1J, 1A, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1K, 1M, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2J, 2K, 2M, 2P, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F, 11G, 11J, 12A, 12B, 12C, 13, 13A, 13B, 14, 14A, 96 and 696. The nearest train stations are Grand Central Station and Lanyon Place Station, which are both less than a mile from Victoria Square.
Accessible Toilets
Good
The Changing Places toilet is on level -2 and is well equipped. There’s a hole in the wall for your key, which you turn anticlockwise to open the outward opening door. Inside, there is space for a left-side transfer. There’s a colostomy shelf and toilet paper to your left, with grab rails on either side of the toilet. It also has a height-adjustable sink with a lever-style tap and silver grab rails on both sides. There’s a full-length mirror, a touchpad on the wall to unlock the door, a ceiling track hoist and a changing bed. There’s no shower. There is a Clos-o-Mat style toilet, which can be activated using a small remote or buttons on the right-hand side. There’s also a hand dryer in here. As expected, the space is massive. Immediately next door is a standard accessible toilet. This one has a soft backrest and a contrasting toilet seat. There are silver grab rails on either side of the toilet and sink, which also has a lever-style tap. There’s space for a right-side transfer only. The emergency cord hangs freely to the floor and is completely unobstructed. The door opens outwards and is secured from the inside by lifting the handle.
