Weston Park Museum

Weston Park Museum’s Changing Places toilet had lots of room inside and was really well maintained. It had a wall with lots of pictures of the landscapes around Sheffield which was absolutely beautiful! The toilet had a ceiling hoist, a height-adjustable bench, a toilet with transfer space on either side, and a height-adjustable sink. Some extra features it had that I appreciated were multiple coat hooks at two heights so everyone could use them, and a large mirror that could be used at all heights. This was definitely one of my favourite Changing Places toilets that I’ve been in, it was well-equipped and well maintained and the beautiful picture wall gave it a really lovely feel.

I wasn’t able to stay very long at the Weston Park Museum and so I only saw a small part of it. It seems like a very large museum with lots of different types of exhibits. The main entrance has two sets of stairs up to it but there is another entrance on the side of the building that provides step-free access. This entrance also brings you to the entrance of the café, Ambulo, and the museum shop. It is also quite close to the Changing Places toilet as well. The museum had very smooth flooring, making it easy for me to navigate on wheels. The exhibits that I saw all had wide entrances with no lips to get into them. One exhibit had doors at the start but there was a button to be able to get the doors to open automatically. The displays were well-spaced, meaning there was plenty of room between displays to maneuver. There was a good amount of seating throughout the areas I saw. Near the start of the exhibits there was always a spot that had fold-out stools, a magnifying glass and a torch. There were also large-print versions of the labels available in folders. Some of the exhibits used video and audio, but I didn’t see any Braille, BSL, hearing loops or any other alternative formats being used within the exhibits. The signage for the toilets had Braille as well as symbols and text. There were also smaller accessible toilets and a Changing Places toilet not far from the step-free entrance and exit.

This museum is on the small side, but they regularly change the exhibits and have a varied programme of talks available. It is wheelchair accessible and there are attendant propelled wheelchairs available to borrow. It's level access with plenty of room to navigate around the exhibits. Most of the description cards etc are at a suitable height for wheelchair users I believe. As with all Sheffield Museums, the staff are helpful and conscientious of disability without trying too hard (I have never had my mobility aids handled, even when they are unattended during a lecture etc.) They are very accommodating and happy to assist you, for example making sure you have space to sit for talks and answering questions etc. The staff who give the talks/lectures/tours are very good and are happy to try and accommodate your needs as best as possible. They are very good at keeping numbers manageable for tours etc, which helps keep the exhibits access even when there is a crowd. I've also found that the other visitors are largely very aware of you as a mobility aid user, and have never had any issues such as being moved out of the way or rude comments. Sometimes there are school groups in the museum at the same time as public, but the staff do a good job of keeping the children separate from the other visitors. There is lift access to the upstairs areas, and multiple disabled toilets available. There is a very nice path through the park and a good low-incline ramp up into the museum. The cafe owned by the museum is largely wheelchair accessible, however I have had issues with the doors being hard to open, chairs left out by customers etc. The staff aren't the greatest in the cafe in my opinion. The cafe is often cash only, and the nearest cash machine is across a busy road somewhere. The museum is across from the Sheffield Children's Hospital and around the corner from the Hallamshire Hospital, and on a very busy road. It is adjoined by a lovely park that is accessible and has seating and a coffee bar available (much better coffee and sweet treats than the museum cafe, but it is outside).