LONDON

LONDON

For shopping and tourism, London is possibly the best city in the world, but for accessibility, this isn’t always the case.

Due to the age of many of the buildings, adaptations have not been possible to make. The majority of modern buildings, however, are accessible.

Most museums in London are free to all and much of the time, the carer goes free, for visits to exhibitions, the cinema, concerts and theatre.

As the majority of London theatres are old, adaptations have been made so wheelchair users can enter the venue and auditorium. In most cases, certain seating areas are reserved depending on if you are staying in your chair or able to transfer to a seat.

Concert venues, such as the 02 and Wembley, have good access with seating offered close to the stage.

Buses have a ramp that the driver puts down after a button is pressed outside the bus to alert them, making this form of transport accessible. Tube maps show the stations that are accessible but journeys need to be planned beforehand to ensure the whole route is possible. The underground gets extremely busy during rush hour so it is better to travel during quieter periods. Over ground trains are also going through improvements.  Where possible, staff will put a ramp down to help you on and off the train but not all stations have lifts or level entrance.

All access to trams is step-free and free for wheelchair users, irrespective of whether or not they hold a Freedom Pass.
Taxis and licensed cabs are a more expensive way to travel but it is often easier.

Restaurants and bars vary with their levels of access. Many in central London are not always completely flat to enter and some offer disabled toilets but use them as storage when not in regular use. Where possible, it is better to phone the venue before going.

Most shops are accessible with lifts and adapted toilets in the larger ones but smaller independent stores and boutiques are not always accessible, due to stairs and size. Shopping centres all have easy access and many have car parks if you are driving.