Accessible Britain

LONDON
arrive as early as you can to avoid the main throng. You’ll find the disabled toilets at
the Wollstonecraft Gate; a RADAR key is required to access them, but ring the number
displayed on the toilet door (020 73772883) and staff will bring it to you. An open
seating area by the cafés has benches that are fixed, but at a good height for seating
wheelchairs at either end.
FOOD & DRINK aa There are plenty of food stalls and sit-down restaurants to choose from
in the market, serving everything from gourmet pies to Spanish tapas. Alternatively, try
one of the excellent Indian restaurants on nearby Brick Lane: Preem Restaurant (020
72470397, www.preemprithi.co.uk), on the corner of Hanbury Street, is handy for the
market, and has level access and delicious food.
010 Royal Opera House
Address: Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD Web: www.roh.org.uk Tel: switchboard: 020 72401200,
box office: 020 73044000 Hours: box office Mon–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 2–4 hours before performances;
ROH Collections open Mon–Fri 10am–3.30pm (performance ticket holders only) Dates: closed 25 Dec
& Easter Sun Entry: varies by performance and seat [D]25% discount when registered to ROH’s free
Access Membership Scheme and/or [C]free if accompanying disabled scheme member (see website for
details)[0–18s]discounts available at selected “family” performances [Con]half-price standby tickets,
subject to availability (see website for details); see below for tour prices
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Commanding a prime spot in London’s picturesque Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House
is the capital’s premier opera venue and the home of the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera.
The current building – with its stately neoclassical facade and spectacular glass-andiron
Floral Hall – was constructed in 1858 after its two predecessors were destroyed by
fire. A recent £178-million renovation has brought the site and its facilities thoroughly
up to date, improving accessibility throughout. You can visit the sumptuous auditorium
on a Velvet, Gilt and Glamour Tour (45min; £9.50) or take a longer Backstage Tour
(1hr 15min; £12), in which you may be lucky enough to catch rehearsals. Failing that,
between 10.30am and 3.30pm anyone can wander in and admire the Floral Hall and
“front of house” areas, where changing exhibitions showcase performance memorabilia
such as costumes, furniture and directors’ notes.
The ROH has three wheelchair accessible entrances: one on Covent Garden Piazza
and two on Bow Street. There’s no car park, but there are seven Blue Badge spaces on
Bow Street, and a drop-off point near the main entrance. Inside, the ticket desks are
mostly a good height for wheelchair users, and there’s lift access to every level of the
building except the Orchestra Stalls in the main auditorium. There are a number of
disabled toilets in various locations, including next to the main entrance and by the
Amphitheatre bar. All operas come with surtitles, and some performances have BSL
interpretation. In addition, there are special headphones available to amplify the sound,
or provide an audio introduction and an induction collar to be used with hearing aids.
It’s worth noting that the ROH offers a free Access Membership Scheme (allow two
weeks for registration), which includes several benefits including discounted tickets
(see www.roh.org.uk/visit/access for details), personalised assistance and day-ticket
telephone booking (usually only available in person on the day).