Overview

Great student union with further improvements due for start of term in October 2016

Transport & Parking

Main car park has quite a few disabled bays. Buses also stop next to car park. All Norwich buses are accessible with ramps and kneeling suspension, but usually with just one wheelchair space. Unfortunately both of these are at the top of a fairly steep slope with the main campus (including the Student Union) at the bottom of this slope. If you are a manual wheelchair user you will need to be pretty fit to get up it.

Access

The Union has step free access to 2 floors, the bar at Street Level and the cafe and LCR venue at Walkway Level. There is a small glass lift to all floors. The bar is reasonable to get around (there is a lower level accessed by a few steps), but the bar is high all the way around. The walkway level atrium is light by a huge skylight. There are powered doors at one end, unfortunately at the side and cafe end the powered doors rarely work. These doors are often open in warmer weather but in the cold... There are large pink tables and benches which are very heavy but also some smaller tables and lighter chairs available. Unio cafe serves good coffee but has a high bar all around. The LCR is the venue for bands etc and is mostly accessible but some of the dance floor is down steps. The top floor houses the Union offices. Corridor doors are usually on hold opens. There is a Scholars bar usually used by postgraduate students which has a bar with a lowered section. There is also the Grad Centre with a varety of seating (some heavy). There are a number of bookable rooms for clubs and groups. There is a Chillout Zone with dimmed lighting, large beanbags and moveable room dividers and CCTV.

Toilets

The accessible loo off the bar ("Street Level") is accessed using a RADAR key. Its a reasonable size with grab rails, alarm cord and mirror. There are two loos on the next floor up ("Walkway Level") in between the gender neutral stalls. Newly refurbished they are bright and good contrasting colours between grab rails and walls. Alarm cord and mirrors. On the top floor a new accessible loo will be available from October 2016.

Staff

Lovely staff are really helpful and friendly.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Although there are a few steps around most of the Union is accessible. They are spending £250K to fit a fire evacuation lift to ensure ALL students can access all floors of the building. Hopefully some money will also be found to solve the problems with the powered doors at walkway level.