Access Survey to Leisure Centre - Mid Suffolk District Council

Mid Suffolk Disability Forum
Access Survey of the Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre,
Gainsborough Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 1LH.
(References in brackets refer to relevant photographs in the appendix)
This survey was undertaken on Wednesday, 15 th June, 2011, by Linda
Hoggarth, Chair, Optua (East Anglia) and Gill Cook, Policy Officer, Mid
Suffolk District Council, who are part of the Mid Suffolk Disability Forum.
This report offers no criticism of the current access but seeks to report
accurately on the facilities available and make some recommendations
for improvements.
It builds on a review of the facilities for disabled people undertaken by
members of Optua (East Anglia) in 2009 in response to concerns raised.
The majority of the recommendations in this review have been followed
up by SLM.
The Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket is operated by SLM in
partnership with Mid Suffolk District Council.
1. Finding the Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre
The Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre is located in Gainsborough Road,
Stowmarket, next to Stowmarket High School. It is signposted from the
Onehouse Road, Stowmarket and is relatively easy to find.
2. Opening Times
The Leisure Centre is open from Mondays to Fridays, from 7am to 11pm,
Saturdays, from 8am to 6pm, and Sundays, from 8am to 9pm.
Further information on activities and facilities is available on the website:
www.everyoneactive.com.
Recommendation: Extend the pages for the Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre
on the website to include details of the accessibility of both the wet and
dry sides for disabled people.
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3. Parking
Parking for blue badge holders is made available on the Mid Suffolk
Leisure Centre’s car park situated at the front of the building. There are
six spaces marked for blue badge holders close to the front entrance.
(LC1)
An additional three spaces marked for blue badge holders are close to
the entrance of Playworld.
There are no parking spaces marked for family use either near the main
entrance or at Playworld.
Recommendation: Consideration should be given to having some
additional marked spaces for family use.
4. Main Entrance
The main entrance is accessed via a flight of 6 steps which are marked
with contrasting nosing. This is a little worn and would benefit from being
remarked. (LC2) (LC3) There are both central handrail and side
handrails.
Recommendation: Ensure that the contrasting nosing of the steps is
well maintained so that it does not become faded.
For those people unable to access the steps, there is a long covered
ramp to the right of the steps, when facing the building (LC4). This is of a
reasonable gradient and there is a resting place half way.
There are two sets of doors, leading to the reception area, which are
automatic. These are predominantly glass but set in an easily visible red
frame. These doors were held open on the day of our visit. The
thresholds are level.
Once through both sets of doors, there is a reception area.
The counter is of a reasonable height but too high for a wheelchair user
to have to write or sign anything. A clip board could be produced to
overcome any difficulty.
There is an induction loop. Further tests will be undertaken to ensure
that this is in working order and staff know how to use it.
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For wheelchair users there is a glass security barrier (LC5), to the right of
the reception desk, which reception staff activate in order that they can
gain access to or egress from the Leisure Centre.
5. Wet Side
5.1 Accessible Changing Room/Toilet and Shower
The room is accessed via a sliding door (LC6), with another sliding door
to access the pool (LC7)(LC10).
From the dry corridor, there is a grab handle to slide open the door which
is heavy to move. There is no locking or unlocking facility on this side of
the door and a red block appears when the mechanism is operated from
the inside to show that it is in use.
There are two A4 laminated signs on this door, in large font. The first
asks users to respect the fact that this is an accessible changing area for
disabled people and to please use another facility in the changing area.
The second that says if this facility is in use there are two other cubicles
for disabled customers and these are labelled with the wheelchair sign.
Another third sign reminds people to ask staff for help if necessary.
From the wet side of the same door, the locking mechanism handle is
about 12 inches long, looks like it is made of aluminium, and has enough
room for a large sized hand to operate the lock without hitting knuckles
on the door itself (LC8).
It has not been possible to replace this door with a hinged opening door
as this would be an obstruction to the corridor.
Some people have said that there are privacy issues with respect to
using this area from both the dry and wet sides but none were identified
on this visit.
The accessible changing room is divided into three sections, one for the
toilet accessed via a hinged door (LC9), one for the shower accessed via
a hinged door, and one where there are lockers. A shower curtain has
been fitted to protect the changing bench from the shower.
It is planned to fit a hoist in this area but the internal partitions will
obstruct any transfer from toilet to shower.
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Recommendation: Undertake some research with disability groups and
individual disabled people who use or potentially would use these
changing facilities to ascertain whether a ‘changing places’ facility would
better meet their needs. This would require removal of the internal
partitions and doors from the accessible changing room to create a more
useful area, particularly for very severely disabled people who may need
to use a hoist with the assistance of two carers, to ensure that this meets
the ‘changing places’ standards.
Attachment re Changing Places facilities.
5.2 Village Changing Area:
This area is wheelchair accessible with care as it is busy and the floor
can be wet.
Two of the cubicles have been improved so that the larger of the two is
wheelchair accessible. The door is now 750mm wide, and has an
appropriate sign on it to indicate it is wheelchair accessible. There is
sufficient turning space for a wheelchair user. It is possible to access the
poolside from this cubicle.
The other cubicle also has had a door that is 750mm wide fitted but it is
not wheelchair accessible. It has a sign on it to indicate that it is
wheelchair accessible. It would be possible for a person with some
mobility difficulties to use this cubicle and access the poolside.
Recommendation: Replace the sign on the second cubicle to show that
it is for ambulant disabled people and is not fully accessible.
Attachment re Signage
5.3 Village Changing Area Shower 1
At the poolside entrance there are two shower cubicles. These are not
wheelchair accessible but there are open showers opposite. The larger
of the two cubicles has a shower seat, the lock on the door has been
replaced and there is appropriate signage on the door.
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5.4 Village Changing Area Shower 2
At the opposite end of the changing area, there are male toilets. There is
also a larger shower room. This has been fitted with a wider door,
shower seat and grab rails.
It has not been possible to fit a horizontal grab rail opposite the open
showers as the wall is not load bearing and the grab rail would not be
safe.
6. The Pool
Access to the pool is level. It is possible for wheelchair users via a hoist
and wheelchair users transfer to a special chair to be able to use it. The
hoist is serviced annually to ensure that it is in good order.
Alternatively there is a set of easy steps, provided with the assistance of
Optua, which also help people with mobility difficulties to access the
pool.
7. Dry Side
The double doors that lead from reception into the gym area are two
narrow leafs, both of which are required to be opened to allow access for
wheelchair users. It is difficult for a wheelchair user to both open the
double doors and propel themselves through at the same time.
On the day of our visit, we accessed this area only to find someone had
bolted one of the doors at the top preventing us from leaving again.
Recommendation: Replace these double doors to 1.5/0.5 doors so that
only one needs to be opened to enable wheelchair users to access the
area safely and easily.
Currently there is no equipment in the gym that can specifically be used
by disabled people. However, an ergometer has been ordered which will
be able to be used by those able to exercise their upper body. As
equipment is replaced, it is intended to bring in more equipment that can
be used by all people with a wide range of disabilities and needs, not just
wheelchair users.
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Recommendation: Ensure that the policy to replace equipment so that
it can also be used by disabled people is implemented where that is
possible and practical.
The men’s changing area is accessible. The toilet and shower could be
used by ambulant disabled people but not wheelchair users.
However, that is no longer relevant as a large unisex accessible
changing room and toilet has been installed which provides very good
facilities for wheelchair users and other disabled people.
8. Accessible Toilet close to Reception
This toilet is just off the main corridor en route to the Bar. It is
desperately in need of refurbishment (LC11).
Recommendation: To totally refurbish this and in the course of
refurbishment move the toilet back against the wall, remove the plinth, in
order to create slightly more turning space.
9. Mens and Womens Toilets in same area
All these toilets are in need of upgrading.
Recommendation: Refurbish all toilets.
10. Bar
There are no access issues to highlight.
11. Crèche
There are no access issues to highlight.
12. Sports Hall
There are no access issues to highlight – the door has been improved.
13. Viewing Area
This is accessed via a lift. The doors of the lift are of sufficient width to
allow a wheelchair user to access it and the lift ‘talks’ so that people with
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visual impairments are aware of the doors opening and which floor it is
on.
14. Cafeteria
This is accessed via a long ramp (LC12) and is fully accessible.
15. Bowls Rink (Winter)
There are two bowls wheelchairs and the rink (itself) can be accessed
via a ramp.
16. Playworld (Summer)
There are no access issues to highlight. The area is fully accessible and
includes an accessible toilet and a snack bar.
17. Entrance to Playworld
A level entrance can be accessed directly from the car park. There are
three parking spaces for blue badge holders directly outside the
entrance.
18. Signs
There are a great many signs both permanent and temporary throughout
the Leisure Centre. Many of the signs have been produced with the
words entirely in upper case letters. Good practice indicates that words
should be produced in lower case letters with a capital letter at the start
of the word if necessary (LC13). This enables a word to retain its ‘shape’
thus assisting people who are visually impaired.
Good contrast with the background used for the sign or notice is
essential.
Recommendation: The style of in house signs is standardised to
comply with good practice guidelines.
Attachment – Making it Clear and also refer to Signage attachment.
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19. Glass Screens/Doors
Large expanses of glass need to have manifestations to ensure that
people who are visually impaired do not walk into them. It is not
expensive as these are just stuck to the glass.
Recommendation: Check the whole Leisure Centre and ensure that
large expanses of glass have manifestations.
20. Disability Awareness Training
No specific disability awareness training appears to have been
undertaken by staff for some considerable time but it is understood that
this has been requested and arrangements are being progressed.
Recommendation: All staff should receive disability awareness training,
preferably delivered by disabled people with a clear understanding of the
social model of disability.
20 th July, 2011
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