Overview

I had a little time to kill after a day trip to Dundee, so I decided to visit the museum. The Victoria and Albert Museum, better known as the V&A is a design museum designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and inspired by cliffs of the Scottish coastline. Opened in 2018, the museum is reasonably new but is undoubtedly a Dundee landmark. The facility is vast with plenty of space between exhibits and an almost unreasonable number of accessible toilets - which is a positive.

Transport & Parking

There are 6 accessible parking spaces and 11 standard spaces on the left side of the V&A on South Crichton Street. South Crichton Street extends past Slessor Gardens and Early Gray Place West, on both streets you’ll find additional on-street parking with standard spaces. 160 metres from Dundee Railway Station, the V&A is as central as possible without being in the station itself. The closest bus stop is 160 metres away at the front entrance of the Railway station and the Sleeperz hotel. The 41, 41A, 42, 42A, 46 and 99 bus services stop and pick up here. There isn’t a taxi rank, but there is a loading bay in front of the RRS Discovery, and space to drop off near the spaces on South Crichton Street.

Access

The area around the V&A is level, with smooth pavements, dropped kerbs at the traffic lights outside and tactile paving. There are large automatic sliding doors at the entrance, with another set inside the building. The bottom floor is spacious, with a gift shop on the left, a staircase and benches on the right and a glass lift in the middle. The lift buttons have Braille markings, inside and out. Please note that this lift only goes to the second floor. Exhibits line walls on the right, leading you to an open space with some further installations, on either side of which you’ll find two rooms. Immediately ahead, there is a visual exhibit, with posters, photos and video projections. The room is dark so that you can see the projections, I had no issue navigating the room in my manual wheelchair. Across the hall is the other room which had textiles, photography and sculptures, this room is brighter and has plenty of room to move. On this floor, you’ll also find the Tatha Bar and Kitchen, which serves lunch, cakes, tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. There’s a kids menu and you can book for an afternoon tea inspired by the current Kimono exhibit. There are plenty of tables, though chairs will need to be moved for wheelchair users. The terrace area, with views of the Tay and additional seating, was closed on my visit - which was a shame as it was a lovely day. On the way to Tatha you’ll pass the toilets and a second lift, which has access to all three floors and two learning rooms. This lift is metal, with no window and bright lighting. There are Braille markings on the buttons inside and out. Both lifts feature an emergency intercom, an induction loop and handrail. Taking the lift down one floor will take you to the Changing Places Toilet, the picnic area and a medical room. Taking the lift down to the ground floor will bring you past another accessible toilet, storage lockers and the gift shop. There’s also a small cafe at the back of the room. The cafe, Tatha and the main desk all have an induction loop. Support is provided for the MyEyes App at this location, and headphones can be provided upon request. Assistance dogs are welcome at the V&A, with drinking bowls provided at the reception desk. Wheelchairs are available for use, though it’s best to email ahead of time and small mobility scooters are welcome. For those who require it, there is a quiet room in the museum.

Toilets

The V&A has five accessible toilets over three floors, which is quite an achievement. I accessed three of the five, as two were occupied. Accessible Toilet: Second floor This toilet is located towards the rear of the second floor, if you exit the elevator to the left, and then turn right you’ll find it just beyond a display of work by local school children. This toilet doesn’t require a key and can be locked from the inside by turning a knob. It’s roomy but narrow with a large mirror on the left wall, and a small sink with a lever handle and grab rails on the right, along which you’ll find the hand dryer, soap dispenser, toilet roll dispenser on this wall. The toilet is on the rear wall. The toilet position only permits a left-side transfer, as there isn’t enough space on the right, although there is a sanitary bin in the transfer space. The toilet is low, with grab rails on either side, and the flush is on the left side of the cistern when seated. Changing Places Toilet - First floor The toilet requires a code to enter, this is printed on a sheet of paper and stuck to the door on the outside. A metal keypad is on the elevated handle with numbered buttons to enter the code. This feels like an unnecessary barrier to entry, where a radar lock or standard lock would suffice. This also assumes that the person using the toilet has the dexterity to use the keypad and open the door - which opens outwards. The door is locked from the inside by turning a knob, there’s a grab rail on the inside of the door. Immediately on your right as you enter, you’ll find the changing bed, a ceiling track hoist and a wall-mounted shower. There is a privacy curtain on a metal frame with wheels at the top of the bed, beyond which is the toilet seat. A right-side transfer is possible, if the curtain is moved, the placement of a bin makes a left-side transfer difficult. The toilet seat is low, with the flush on the cistern behind and has grab rails on both sides. On the right, when seated, is a wall-mounted toilet paper dispenser and the red emergency cord, which touched the floor. There’s a large, low sink with a mixer tap, which has a lever handle. The paper towel and soap dispensers are mounted above the sink, and the hand dryer is to the left. The room features a large mirror, partly obscured by a bin. There are sanitary and waste bins in the toilet. There is a second accessible toilet in this area, but it was in use on my visit. Accessible Toilet: Ground floor In a corridor to the left of the gift shop is another accessible toilet, which is identical to the one on the second floor, the bin is even located in the transfer space. All three toilets mentioned were clean and to a good standard, in each instance, the emergency cords touched the floor.

Staff

On entering I was greeted by Gavin, who happened to be a wheelchair user. He was happy to have a chat about the museum, he told me where the toilets and lifts were, and to let him or a member of staff know if I needed any guidance. I made a point of saying goodbye to him on the way out, we shared our personal experiences of accessibility in our daily lives and had a bit of a laugh.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I enjoyed my time, short as it was but if I could offer any feedback it’d be on the Changing Places Toilet, the lock, as mentioned, feels like an additional barrier. As this toilet is located in an area where there is no staff, you’ll need to track someone down if you encounter any issues. The placement of bins in the transfer spaces could be looked at.

Photos