Overview

Chelsea Library is located in Chelsea Old Town Hall. It is in the same building as the as its register office famous for its King Road society weddings. While on paper it ticks the boxes with step free access and an accessible toilet. The toilet is not fit for purpose lacking space, proper grab rails and an emergency cord.

Transport & Parking

The nearest tube station Sloane Square is not step free. However, several buses go along the King's Road and stop close by. In both directions there is a bus stop called Chelsea Old Town Hall. It is a couple of minutes level walk from the bus stop.

Access

There is a step free entrance to the library, which if facing the building is to its right. There are wrought iron gates which are open when the library is and had a sign on it saying accessible lift, see photo. It is then a short walk with a hand rail on the left to the entrance door. There are double automatic doors which open out into a small foyer and directly in front it a platform lift (sorry no photo, as still trying to get used to driving my rollator). The space was quite tight in the ground floor foyer. You need to be by the lift to press and hold the button to get the platform lift but then you need to stand back when it comes as the door automatically opens. Once on the next level, I think its considered the ground floor as the front entrance is raised, you come out into the main library space. This is step free and spacious. There are some seats and tables. The accessible toilet, reference library and meeting room is on the next floor up. There is an elaborate, grand staircase with handrail and a lift, see photos of lift. The lift is not huge but when I get in with my rollator I am able to turn it around so by the time I exited I was facing in the right direction, so it has some space. There is then a corridor with the accessible toilet, reference library and meeting room and all is step free. The meeting room we used had three rows of long tables and seating with back support. It was comfortable and there was space in the corner for me to leave my rollator.

Toilets

The accessible toilet was a disappointment. It is not accessible. There is a manual door. You will require a RADAR key to open it and if you don't have one there is no notice on the door saying where you can get one from. The toilet is extremely small inn size and further not helped with the two bins. I was able to get me and my rollator inside but my rollator was right up against the wall and the toilet. There is a metal bar running along side the sink and I had to squeeze myself into the space in between where there was the toilet. The space is ridiculously tight. I had to reverse out with my rollator on exiting and also navigate the manual door and try to avoid bumping into anyone who may be in the corridor. The grab rails were bizarre. There was an L shaped bar that went in front of the toilet cistern and across the front of the sink. At either end there There were horizontal rails. There was no grab rail on the side furthest away from the sink, unless you consider the horizontal pole, which would involve stretching backwards in one direction, and therefore unsafe and unsuitable for disabled people. There was no red emergency cord for disabled people to access help if they fell and given that the main library is downstairs, I am not sure how easy it would be if they called for help to be heard. There was also a baby changing facility attached to the wall. On my second visit to the toilet, it was hanging down, see photo. This was another things to contend with manoeuvring round. Given that the baby changing mat was the same colour as the wall, it would not provide enough visual contrast for some people with visual impairments and they may walk into it. The toilet was well maintained, clean and tidy.

Staff

Prior to visiting, as I was booked for a Vision Board event, I contacted the library about accessibility as I had recently moved from a using a crutch to a rollator. The staff wrote back quickly and with helpful access directions/ information. On the day, when I arrived I went to a member of staff to explain I had come for the event. She informed me that they were still setting up the room and I asked where the accessible toilet was. I was not informed that the accessible toilet required a RADAR key. In my case this was ok as I have one attached to my house keys, so always have it with me. However, there will be people with bladder and bowel difficulties who might not have one and could possibly wet or soil themselves if they then have to retrace their steps and find out where the RADAR key is kept. When we were in the workshop, there was a member of staff who did the housekeeping before we started the session with the trainer. When she was going through the evacuation procedure she looked at me and started using euphemisms to describe me, which felt very uncomfortable. I spoke out and told her I am disabled and it's not a bad word to use. It made me feel very singled out and targeted within the group. After the session, I went to the main desk to make a complaint about the accessible toilet and the member of staff. The member of staff who I spoke to was very engaging, empathetic and took notes. I asked if I could have some feedback about my complaint and I was advised that I would need to complete a form, which I did.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Overall the Chelsea Library has good step free access although the accessible toilet is very poor. I really enjoyed the Vision Board workshop which was well organised. However, it was let down by how I was spoken about in front of the group. Staff could possibly benefit from some disabled access awareness training, particularly about terminology. Maybe if staff could speak to disabled people individually about evacuating the building procedures, instead of doing it in front of the entire group. This really took the edge of another wise very positive visit.

Photos