Celebrate!Information about venues which are accessible to disabled people
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In Celebrate!, we've always aimed to use venues that are accessible to all members of our community. In practice, this is very difficult, since we need venues which are cheap, queer friendly, and have access to wheelchair users and other disabled people – and there aren’t many around!
Since we’ve found it so difficult to find suitable places, we thought we should make the information we have more widely available to other groups. Please realize that this info is provided in good faith, but without any guarantees! If you’re a representative of one of these venues, and want to make a correction, or if you know about some other venue, please let us know about it by emailing m.robinson@shu.ac.uk
Contents::
We've used Laurieston Hall in SW Scotland for all our week long events so far. It's a wonderful place - there are more details in our pages about our events.
Laurieston Hall in SW Scotland does not have perfect access for disabled people, particularly those who use a wheelchair, but it is reasonably accessible and has been used many times by people of varying abilities.
The ground floor has a ramped access, (albeit from the back door), and one bedroom with a double bed, single bed and bunk bed. There is sometimes the possibility of creating one extra ground floor bedroom. There is an adapted bathroom close to the ground floor bedroom, with shower, toilet, and a wash hand basin which is too small for some wheelchair users.
Also on the ground floor are two large workshop/social rooms, the dining room, two kitchens, and the main hall. As an old posh house, the doors and corridors in the ‘family’ side of the house are fairly wide, but on the servants’ side it’s all a bit more cramped. Unfortunately, the ground floor bedroom and accessible bathroom are in this bit – wheelchair users usually find it ok, but one user of an electric scooter found access a problem.
The first and second floors are only accessible by staircases (one large, wide staircase, plus various smaller and more windy ones). Of these, the first floor only is used by visitors, and contains bedrooms for up to 60 people, bathrooms, plus a sitting room.
The grounds are mainly woodland, farmland and garden, and can present significant access difficulties for wheelchair users.
Dead cheap: in 2000, about £140 per person per week (ie seven nights bed and very full board). LH only charge for the number of people who go, so it's great if you're not sure how many people will be coming. (Subject to a minimum of 15 people.)
Here’s the rub! Laurieston Hall is not really bookable in the same way as hostels etc. It’s open only in the summer, and to groups who are invited to run a week there. (Typically, the programme for the following year is decided round about October/November.) Many of the available slots are taken up by groups who return to Laurieston Hall year after year.
That said, the group which runs Laurieston Hall do also encourage innovative new events – which is how Celebrate! got to use LH in the first place, and some events fold and need to be replaced by new ones. For enquiries, contact
Woodhall Events
Laurieston Hall
Castle Douglas
SW Scotland
DG7 2NB
Contents of the Youth Hostel section::
There are three main ways groups can use hostels: 'rent-a-hostel', exclusive use (non rent-a-hostel) and non-exclusive use.
These are places which (mainly in the winter) you can hire the venue completely, fairly cheaply. (Often they are ones where there isn't a resident warden. They're often fairly small, and often in out of the way places. YHA do a special booklet (called, surprisingly, 'rent-a-hostel') which lists them all and gives prices
There are only four ‘rent-a-hostel’ places that are classified as accessible to disabled people. Two are on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales (not much use to us for a weekend - but they might be to you) so we looked fairly closely at two in England, Duddon and Wooler - details below (or follow the links shown).
These
are places which are usually open like normal youth hostels, but where you can
arrange with the warden to have exclusive use for your group. However, this
tends to be expensive - because:
Many of
the accessible hostels are too big for us to ever be able to afford exclusive
use, but we could still use them. Many have what they call 'classrooms' which
groups can use. Again, you almost certainly have to let the warden do the
catering - they don't want groups of over 10 to be self-catering and taking
over the kitchens. So again the price is around £20.20 per person per night,
but at least you don't have to pay for the empty beds.
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(Some of
those look like new names to me since last year, so maybe there are more now
than then.)
The
accessibility classification either from the Holiday Care Service or one of the
Toursit Boards:
ETB = English Tourist Board
WTB = Welsh Tourist Board
I don't
remember the basis for the categories of accessibility that well, but I think that it went something like:
Category 1 = usable by all wheelchair users
Cat 2 = usable by most wheelchair users (possibly with assistance)
Cat 3 = only usable by some users with assistance. (But Duddon was Category 3
and would have suited our needs fine with a small number of wheelchair users).
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It's on
the edge of a bleak looking estuary on the SW coast of Cumbria – nearest town
is Millom. (Behind a scrap yard! - but that makes it sound less pleasant than
it really is.)
In
brief, it has:
Oh, and
the caretaker was very laid back and friendly! We liked her a lot!
That
said, it is very small - not much room for turning space for wheelchair users,
especially if the place is full. And, as it happens, when we went we didn't
have any disabled people in the group so we used the hallway as a dining area -
this would probably have been impossible with any wheelchair users present.
Holiday
Care Service Category 3 accessibility - see above
for definitions.
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I'm
working from memory here, but it's substantially bigger than Duddon (I think
about 40 beds) and not that much more expensive (£295 for a weekend?). Journey
time from south England was about 1 hour longer than Duddon, which was why we
rejected Wooler (in other words, we don't have any personal experience of it).
I think the accessibility was meant to be better than Duddon.
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We used
Scarborough YH this year. Their annex (when we used it - Oct 2000) was awaiting
classification as an accessible venue. Frankly, we'll be surprised if it makes
the grade!
The
annex has a ramp up to it, and an adapted, if smelly, bathroom in one of the
bedrooms. The annex is all on one level. But, stupidly, the main corridor
twists and turns instead of being a straight run, and the common space is tiny.
In this tiny space, there's loads of furniture - not enough for the number of
beds (there are beds for about 20 people, low seating for about 12 at a pinch,
and dining space for about 6 if you're lucky) - but enough to ensure that no
wheelchair user could get further into the building than the one accessible
bedroom.
We
weren't impressed!! Most worrying is the idea that someone in the YHA thinks that this is good enough. Shame.
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YHA
allow 'group leaders' to visit places for free! The basic deal is, I think,
that a couple of people can go for a night to check the place out.
YHA web
site: www.yha.org.uk
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I've been told about this place called the 'Four Winds
Centre' in Surrey. Celebrate hasn’t used it, so can’t comment from personal
experience, but it sounds reasonably ok.
(As reported to me in March 2000 – but not direct from the
center)
Self Catering is £20 per person per day if max 12, and £25
pppd if the maximum of 28 folk, (yes, price goes UP if more than 12).
It is possible to have them cater for you.
Four Winds Centre
High Thicket Road
Dockenfield
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4HE
Tel 01252 793990
Fax 01252 792941
Roland or Joy (not related) are the 2 main folks who answer
the phone.
A couple of guys did a report for the Edward Carpenter
Community on the suitability of this place, and there report is at www.cix.co.uk/~cjeffries/fwc/.
This link gives more info about the accessibility.
The 'West End Centre' near Blubberhouses in Yorkshire,
is a privately run bunk house. There are quite a few of them around (Links to
Yorkshire ones from http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/ydales/bunkbarns/)
Accessibility:
This places isn’t really
accessible, but it is usable by some wheelchair users (maybe with assistance).
There are a few ground floor bedrooms, and the women’s bathroom and some
toilets are on the ground floor, but they aren’t fully accessible. The real
problem comes with the social spaces – this place has lots of little lounges
around the place, but all of them are on the first floor (stairs – no lift) except for the kitchen and dining room.
When we
used it, we moved some comfy furniture from upstairs into the dining room – but
then we weren’t filling the place and didn’t need all the dining room tables.
Sleeping
accommodation for around 30 people in 9 bedrooms.
Costs:
Weekends, £170 per night (July 2000). Cheaper during the week. Unfortunately,
they want you out by 11 or 12 am on the Sunday morning.
Links: http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/accgde/westend/index.htm
There are two buildings - the old mill and the dairy.
The Mill is on three floors, with flat, external access to
the lower two. The top floor,
which contains one bedroom for about 10 people and a lovely workshop space, are
up a long flight of stairs. The middle floor
has an external door with flat access, but maneouvering through hallways/doors
would be tricky for some people. This floor contains: two twin bedrooms, a
sitting room, a small kitchen area, and a bathroom (quite large, but no
handrails etc). The usual access to the lower
floor is via fairly narrow stairs from the middle floor, but there is also an
external door to the lower floor with flat access. This is straight into one of
the 2 bedrooms (each sleep 6 people). On this floor there are also various
toilets and showers. One of the bathrooms is larger than most, and has flat
access to the shower.
The dairy is all on the flat. It contains an adapted
bathroom, well equiped large kitchen (not adapted for wheelchair users), dining
room and very large workshop space (feels a bit like a classroom, but you could
make it nice with some effort).
Externally, the Mill owns 7 acres of land. It is in a steep
little valley (added access problems!) and the yard around the buildings is
concreted but not entirely smooth and steep in places.
The following is what the people at Atlow Mill say about the
accessibility:
When we visited, we didn't have any disabled people with us,
but here are some comments about the accessibility from someone who ran a
week-long event there for the Edward Carpenter Community at which one person
was a wheelchair user:
"We
managed OK at Atlow Mill, for a week, with XXX in his wheelchair, but it wasn't
ideal. The nicest workshop room is up a flight of stairs which we found he
could not be lifted up. So for workshops he wanted to join we had to use the
room in a building called the "dairy" - (converted from one I
assume). This was rather utilitarian with a somewhat low ceiling and a large
modern almost classroom like feel - and little scope for decorating it. But we
did OK. And the setting in a secluded, narrow valley with a stream running
through is rather nice.
"XXX
and YYY had a bedroom on [lower] level in the mill which has the disabled
access shower/toilet. Access was pretty tight around some of the corners but it
worked. And when they started enjoying the week the problems became quite
managable - good morale made up for premises that are not built for wheelchair
access.
"I
think the place is usable for a weekend if you are not likely to have more than
1 or 2 wheelchair users and depending on their particular needs. But there
probably is a risk that someone might find it too restricted if they need more
space than XXX. So people would need to check up their needs with the size of
the venue before booking."
Email: centre@atlowmill.ndirect.co.uk
Tel:
01335 370494
Address:
The Atlow Mill Centre, Hognaston, Derbyshire, DE6 1PX
Now we come to the most promising place: The Beamsley
Project has accommodation in the Yorkshire Dales near Bolton Abbey for 22 people
in 8 bedrooms, all accessible to wheelchair users. (Lift to first floor). The
costs are very reasonable indeed: £13 + VAT per person per night self catering.
But…. Understandably, but sadly, this place is only open to
groups which are primarily for disabled people. (They have a maximum ratio of
able-bodied to disabled people which is allowed – I think (but check with them!) that at least 1/3 of the group
must be disabled.
So if, like us, you’re a group which is not primarily for disabled people, but which just wants
to make its events accessible to everyone, this venue isn’t a lot of help.
Which is a shame, ‘cause it looks great!
Links: http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/boltonabbey/beamsley/index.html
Many universities supplement their income by renting out
their accommodation when students aren't there - typical over Easter, Summer
(Roughly middle June to middle September) and sometimes Christmas/New Year. One
or two even have accommodation which is open year long.
They are relatively cheap, and often offer better access for
disabled people than other places. Often there are options like self-catering
flats, single and twin rooms with catering, etc.
There is a central organisation which promtoes uni accommodation,
called the British Universities Accommodation Consortium (BUAC). They have a
website at www.buac.co.uk, which is a triumph of style
and technology over common sense and content. You need Flash v.4 minimum, and a
certain amount of patience. If you search around for a while looking under
'Holiday accommodation' you might come to a pdf file which summarises some of
the options.
Other
contact details: Telephone: 0115 950 4571, Fax: 015 942 2505, Email: buac@nottingham.ac.uk, not that I think
that's that useful - after 7 days I'm still waiting for some reply to a query I
sent them.
Below we
list some of the universities which say they have facilities for disabled people.
We haven't used any of them, so can't speak with personal experience. The
prices are the minimum amount, taken from BUAC's website for 2000, and are for
bed and breakfast per person per night (as part of a group).
|
Institution |
Town/city |
Price |
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Exeter |
Exeter |
12.50 (bargain!) |
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Aberystwyth |
Aberystwyth |
15.50 |
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Cardiff |
Cardiff |
16.50 |
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|
Swansea |
Swansea |
17.50 |
|
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Leicester |
Leicester |
17.62 |
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|
University of Wales |
Bangor |
17.63 |
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Brunel |
Uxbridge |
18.00 |
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LSE |
London |
18.00 |
|
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Manchester |
Manchester |
18.21 |
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East Anglia |
Norwich |
18.50 |
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Nottingham |
Nottingham |
18.50 |
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Ulster |
Londonderry |
18.50 |
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Central Lancs |
Preston |
18.50 |
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|
UMIST |
Manchester |
18.56 |
|
|
Durham |
Durham |
19.00 |
|
|
Bath |
Bath |
19.30 |
|
|
Queen Mary and Westfield |
London |
19.38 |
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Royal Holloway |
London |
19.38 |
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Greenwich |
London |
19.50 |
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Strathclyde |
Glasgow |
19.75 |
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|
University College |
Chichester |
20.00 |
|
|
Lancaster |
Lancaster |
20.00 |
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Stirling |
Stirling |
20.85 |
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North London |
London |
21.00 |
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|
Queen's |
Belfast |
21.15 |
None given. Try phone 028 90 381608 |
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University College |
Scarborough |
21.75 |
|
|
Keele |
Keele |
22.50 |
|
|
Essex |
Colchester |
24.65 |
|
|
Salford |
Salford (Manchester) |
24.68 |
|
|
Edinburgh |
Edinburgh |
27.00 |
|
|
Goldsmiths |
London |
27.00 |
|
|
Sussex |
Brighton |
31.72 |
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|
Leeds |
Leeds |
on application |
|
|
Aston |
Birmingham |
on application |
|
|
Dundee |
Dundee |
on application |
|
|
Glamorgan |
Pontypridd |
on application |
|
|
Newcastle |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
on application |
|
|
Sheffield |
Sheffield |
on application |
(and if
I've managed to type all those in without any mistakes, it'll be a bloody
miracle. Let me know (m.robinson@shu.ac.uk)
if you find any.)
The
following universities say, on this PDF document from BUAC, that they don't
have facilities for disabled people: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cambridge,
Anglia Polytechnic, Royal Agricultural College, Glasgow, Kent, Liverpool,
Liverpool John Moores, East London, Kingston, Middlesex, Imperial College,
King's London, Harper Adams Uni College, Oxford, Portsmouth, St Andrews, Surrey
and York. Frankly, we find it slightly incredible that they don't have any
facilities for disabled people - maybe it's worth phoning them to check
(numbers on the BUAC site) and if they really don't have the facilities, give
them hell.
We also contacted the 'Holiday Care Service' about
venues. They list loads of stuff which is accessible, but seem really reluctant
to actually give the information away. (They wanted to know which part of the
country we were interested in. 'All of it' didn't seem to be an option they
liked.)
It's hard to see what would be usable by us - it's mainly
things like a couple of caravans on a site which are adapted, or a cottage
somewhere with a stanna stair lift! But I thought if we could be bothered doing
more research with it, we might get something useful out of it.
(eg - if a camp site had a couple of accessible 'chalets'
then we could hire those plus a couple more for people who don't have special
accessibility needs. But then we'd need a communal meeting space... But then
when we used Duddon Estuary Youth Hostel, the living space was actually rather
small!
But any of this would need, I think, an advanced visit from
someone to check it out.
Check out www.parklife.co.uk/campbarn
for a list of camping barns in Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales. We haven't done
major research, but we have just noticed that some of them are talking about
having wheelchair access, so maybe they'd be appropriate for some groups. If
you use one or find out more information, please let us know!
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Please
do let us know about any other venues which we should check out and add to
this page. We're always on the look out for new venues we or other groups can
use. If you do have other information, or have comments on this, then please email Mike on m.robinson@shu.ac.uk |
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