Overview

Dreamland Margate is an amusement park and entertainment centre. It is a fun place to visit and look around. Regarding accessibility on the plus side the site itself is level and there is seating throughout the park, and there are plenty of accessible toilets. On the not so positive side, I am uncertain which of its rides are accessible to people with mobility impairments. I will say more about this later and about how their website covers accessibility, which is a very risk averse, adopting a health and safety approach, a visit here is meant to be fun and their accessibility page really could do with a refresh.

Transport & Parking

The nearest train station is Dreamland, which is 0.2 miles away, and can be reached by a level walk. From the roundabout, walk along the sea front and immediately in front of you is the art deco style tower with Dreamland written on it. Walk past it and take the first turning on the right, which is, "Hall by the Sea". Once you turn into the road, there is a slight slope down, but directly in front of you is the entrance to Dreamland with a welcome sign. Our taxi dropped us off at the entrance on "Hall by the Sea". There is also a car park, but I am not sure if people using this came via another entrance into the park.

Access

If you have a mobility disability Dreamland is great if you just want to have a look around, have something to eat and drink, as it is on level ground and has accessible toilets. WEBSITE Disabled people looking at Dreamlands website are considering coming for a fun day out. However, the accessibility page, which is labelled accessibility policy, is extremely negative in tone. While its objective in the first paragraph states that “We aim to maintain a consistent approach to meet and exceed the expectations of the Equality Act 2010. Dreamland welcomes guests with disabilities, together with their companion, carer or personal assistant. We aim to provide clear and accurate information to help guests with accessibility requirements plan and enjoy their visit.” It then fails to do this, as almost its entire focus is on all the things disabled people cannot do in Dreamland. It adopts from the outset a risk adverse tone, quoting health and safety and says "refusal on the grounds of health and safety does not constitute discrimination", and it lacks helpful information about the venue, its rides and events, to enable disabled people to make informed choices and plan their day out to Dreamland. It is a red flag, hostile in tone, unwelcoming, unappealing and fails to understand or engage with disabled people. This page of the website needs urgent updating so useful, relevant accessible information is provided. The focus should be on what disabled people can do, not what they cannot. There is a total lack of transparency about how many and which rides offer step free access or are suitable for people with mobility impairments or wheelchair users. Given that the rides or attractions change very little from one season to the other, why can not the accessible information be more detailed and clearer? As it stands, families with a disabled child can not decide on the information provided on the website, if Dreamland will make a good day out for their family, as they are unable to determine which rides maybe suitable for their child. Disabled people or their friends or family are instead invited to write in to find out more about accessibility, so creating an additional hoop to jump through that non disabled people/ groups don’t have to do, thereby does not provide equity for disabled people. As it stands, many will not consider going as they will assume the park is inaccessible, or if they come, they may be disappointed or distressed to find out on the day that what they hoped to do is not accessible. or as on their website “On the Day Our Guest Experience Team and ride operators will be able to give you information regarding ride availability, access, restrictions and provide any further advice needed to make the most of your day.” It also says “Large groups of guests with disabilities visiting Dreamland are advised to contact our Guest Experience Team in advance to discuss any particular requirements and ensure a smooth and memorable experience for your party. Please contactcustomerservices@dreamland.co.uk” This is so different in tone to their schools and group webpage, which includes listing its facilities. At the very bottom of the page there is a section titled Cast, Air Boot and Splint, which gives advise about these. However, the only advise for disabled people, with mobility impairment is “If you are using crutches, then you may use them to get up onto the ride platform however they may not be taken onto the ride itself. Please consider your capabilities to evacuate the ride should the need arise.” And there is NO advice for wheelchair users. Please Dreamland be transparent, if none of your rides are suitable for disabled people with a mobility impairment state it on your website, and save us the distress of turning up on the day to be turned away from rides. This is especially important for children who are part of a family/ friends/ school group, who will be keen to do the same things as their siblings/ friends. If none of your rides are suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility aid, please just state this, otherwise its like giving false hope, and that’s not fair. Instead focus on listing what facilities you can offer disabled people. Dreamland could do well by adopting a system similar to Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort about the detailed access information it provides and the facilities it offers disabled people. ENTRANCE AND GENERAL GETTING AROUND THE VENUE We entered via Hall by the Sea, a road directly off the sea front. The double doors were already open. From here you are in an indoor area which has an arcade, shop, café, roller disco and accessible toilets. There is then a doorway leading to the outdoor section of the venue, which is the largest park of the amusement park. The entire ground is level and is mostly paved but there were a couple of places where there is shingle. There is seating dotted throughout the park. Most of it is either picnic table style benches or benches with no back or arm support. There is also some area with tables and free-standing chairs. The outside area is quite large but not as big as some of the other amusement parks in the UK. We went on a day during the school holidays but it was not too busy, so it was easy to get around. RIDES I knew given my disability most of the rides would not be accessible to me, however, I had hoped to go on the big wheel. This was the only ride we approached. The staff allowed me to go up to the wheel to assess if it was accessible for me. This involved ascending two metal steps, with a handrail on the left, which is my crutch side, and then finding there was another step and having to descend/ climb into the seat. Yes, I was disappointed because I enjoy going on the big wheel, if I had been able to see the information before on the website, I would have gone prepared knowing that it was not suitable for me. The only other thing that looked vaguely accessible was the Hall of Mirrors but that had a huge step up into it and no hand rail, so we did not even bother with it. We were staying in Margate and going to Dreamland was just one of the things we were doing. It was not the focus of the day, and I had gone expecting to just walk round and enjoy watching. However, if you are a disabled child/ young adult you may feel differently. WHEELCHAIRS Their website states that there are no wheelchairs available for hire. It is very unusual for a venue of this size, not to offer the loan of wheelchairs. Many venues offer the choice of wheelchair and mobility scooters. I would like Dreamland to consider offering this service to make the venue more accessible and inviting to disabled people.

Toilets

There are accessible toilets dotted around the venue. They are signposted. The website advises that some may require a RADAR key. I used the accessible toilet by the entrance. It has grab rails. The emergency cord has been cut above the grab rail, thereby preventing anyone who had fallen on the floor from accessing assistance safely. The toilets were brightly decorated and on the mirror was an invitation to take a selfie.

Staff

There were no staff by the entrance door to welcome, direct or answer any questions for people arriving. We had minimal interaction with staff. We spoke to the staff on the Big Wheel and they let me come in and have a look to see if the ride was accessible. Also the café counter by the Roller Disco.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

We had a great time at Dreamland, but we went there assuming the rides would not be accessible and we went to enjoy a look around. If that’s what you’re looking for, you will have a great day out. However, if you are disabled and hoping to enjoy the rides, I would proceed with caution, and ascertain what and how many rides are accessible if this is you sole reason for visiting, to avoid disappointment. Dreamland, both on its website and venue, is seriously failing in being proactive regarding access for disabled people. I suggest: 1) Accessibility information: The accessibility webpage urgently needs updating. It needs a refresh to include detailed information about accessibility, including its individual rides, and how disabled people’s access needs are met during their events. Good and clear access information should be available, including photographs. Disabled people should not be expected to jump through hoops and have to make individual requests about access, when the venue can make it easy by providing it on their website and being available to all. Regarding individual rides they could seek to create something similar to Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort’s Mini Guide, which provides access information for each ride at a glance. 2) Website: The entire tone of the accessibility webpage needs updating. Dreamland is meant to be a fun place for ALL, the tone of the access page focuses on what disabled people can’t do and the health and safety risk they pose. Disabled people are the best judge of their own access needs, treat them or their carers as adults. Include safety information but don’t let it be the main focus, be welcoming, be encouraging, be inviting, let disabled people know all that you offer which is accessible, a few photos at the top of the page would make it more inviting. 3) Wheelchair/ Mobility Scooter hire: Most venues of comparable size to Dreamland offer wheelchair and/ or mobility scooter hire to their visitors. Dreamland should consider in adopting a similar scheme. 4) Easy Passes: There will be people who are able to meet the safety standards required for a particular ride, but who are unable to stand in the main queue. Please create special passes so they can avoid queuing but still access the ride. 5) Changing Places: Consider adding a Changing Places toilet, which will make the venue accessible to more people. 6) Events: I did not attend an event at Dreamland, so cannot comment on the experience. However, given the general set up, Dreamland should consider reviewing event access. 7) New Rides: For the future, when acquiring new rides, please get accessible versions which are more inclusive. 8) Involving/ Engaging with disabled people: Dreamland should review the above with the assistance of people with lived experience of disability. Maybe involving a local SEN school or disabled people’s led organisation, to help update and for ongoing reviews on how to improve access and to work towards better inclusivity. I am writing to Dreamland to share my above concerns and suggestions with them. REPLY FROM DREAMLAND ON 29 JULY 20204 Dear Tina, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback and suggestions regarding your recent visit to Dreamland. We genuinely appreciate your insights and the opportunity to improve our services and accessibility for all our guests. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us identify areas where we can enhance our accessibility offerings. Here are some steps we are taking and planning to improve accessibility at Dreamland: Website and Information: We acknowledge the importance of providing clear, detailed and positive information on our website. We are currently working on updating our accessibility page to focus on what disabled guests can do and to provide more details about the accessibility of each ride and attraction. Due to the nature of our attractions, a number of our rides do change regularly. Ride Accessibility: We are reviewing our current rides and attractions to identify those that can be made more accessible or how we can better communicate the accessible requirements. ​We are dedicated to making Dreamland a welcoming and enjoyable place for all our guests and your feedback plays a crucial role in this process. Thank you once again for your valuable insights and for helping us move towards better inclusivity, Best wishes, Dreamland Customer Services

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