Overview

I attended the Rise4Disability event at Scotland's national stadium. The event was held in a function suite midweek, so it was quiet compared to match days. The stadium is vast, with a capacity of 51,866 visitors, and houses the Scottish Football Museum, which features over 2,000 pieces of football memorabilia.

Transport & Parking

From the information I could find, there are 35 accessible parking spaces on-site, though it’s suggested you contact the stadium directly and early to secure a space. I arrived at the stadium via Mount Florida Railway Station, which has a lift, but it’s a bit of a push in a manual wheelchair. The station is 322 metres from the stadium.

Access

There are stairs at the entrance, with several grab rails. On either side of the entrance, there’s a spiraling ramp with rails on both sides. However, the ramp can be nauseating to navigate and challenging to climb with a walking aid or manual wheelchair. While there are other entrances to the stands, they were not open as there wasn’t a match or gig that day. As you enter through the automatic sliding doors, you’ll find a reception desk with a lowered counter and an induction loop. Since I needed to take the lift, I was guided through heavy wooden doors and along a corridor. The lift is spacious, easily accommodating a powerchair and several other occupants, and is equipped with a grab rail and Braille buttons. Within the event space, there was plenty of room, with over 30 stalls operating. There were also several smaller rooms hosting talks, which were spacious. I didn't see any alternative formats elsewhere in the building, but I can't account for the match-day experience.

Toilets

The Changing Places toilet is located high up on the North Stand, which was a fair trek from the event space on the other side of the stadium. This meant weaving through the building, being led through some heavy doors, and wandering around the main stadium area exposed to the cold. There are lifts throughout the stadium, but I can't imagine it would be easy to get from one end to the other on match days. The toilet has a sliding door and does not require a RADAR key to access. The space is functional, with enough room for additional people if needed. The toilet pan is on the rear wall and has grab rails on both sides. The white porcelain toilet contrasts with the blue wall. There is space for a right-side transfer, and the space is clear. There’s a low, small sink with grab rails on both sides and a lever-style tap. The toilet features a wall-mounted adjustable change bed and a ceiling track hoist. It's well-kitted out for a small space, but it definitely feels a bit budget. There is no colostomy shelf or emergency cord at the door. The red cord hung to the floor, although it was behind a narrow bin. There’s a second accessible toilet next door to this one, but there’s a low-height sink in the left-side transfer. There are grab rails on either side of the toilet and the sink, so it will still be of use to ambulant disabled people. The red cord was wrapped around a grab rail—I was quick to untie it. In the event space on the south side of the stadium, there is a toilet, but it's especially small. You'll get in with a manual or powerchair, but you won't be able to turn. Additionally, the door is heavy, and the room offers no space to transfer due to a bin in the left-side transfer space. The red cord hung to the floor at least. My score considers all toilets. I feel the Changing Places toilet is mostly fit for purpose, but the static sink in the accessible toilet next to it feels silly. If it's not an accessible toilet, I'd accept this, but it seems like it’s a retrofitted cleaner’s closet.

Staff

When I arrived at the building, staff escorted me to my location, pointed out the lifts, and called ahead to confirm I had reached my floor. Although it was a trek to the toilet, they were incredibly helpful, holding doors open as they accompanied me to the Changing Places toilet and waiting to escort me back afterwards.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I attended a talk hosted by Jon Attenborough, who recently completed a tour of all football grounds in Scotland with his guide dog, Sam. The talk was in support of his forthcoming book and documented his experiences as a visually impaired person achieving this unique goal.

Photos