Overview

After a very enjoyable visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, the park has various disabled facilities. The car park offers various disabled parking spaces, within close distance of the park entrance where there is an access ramp and stairs running adjacent. At the entrance, wheelchairs are available to hire at a cost. There are various cafes situated over the park, which all have wheelchair access making cafes easy to enter. When exploring the park itself it, majority of the pathways are wide, hard standing and level with some gravel pathways in areas around the perimeter of the exhibitions, meaning that wheelchair users were able to both see and feed animals easily.

Transport & Parking

The disabled car parking offers 120 spaces for blue badge holders only and were very wide so the car doors were able to open to their full potential to ensure that a disabled or wheelchair user can easily get in and out of the car. There is no restricted access to the rear of the vehicle either, so that a ramp can be easily used. The spaces are located near to the entrance, with the pathway there being level.

Access

The website is very informative and advises to ring the visitor services team to book a wheelchair in advance, so it would be waiting on arrival. Around the park there are various clear signs suggesting a wheelchair friendly alternative route. There are several steps at the entrance, but an access ramp runs adjacent to these. A wheelchair user is able to see the animals and exhibitions clearly due to the glass edging and fences. There is also an interactive area where anybody can feed and interact with the animals, with an accessible walkway for wheelchairs, push chairs etc. The signs locating the way to the animal exhibitions are large and colourful, making them easy to see. There are various cafes, all offering wheelchair access, with wide double doors that remain open, allowing a wheelchair to pass through easily and safely. Around the park there is ample seating areas and places to eat in the shade.

Toilets

There are various disabled accessible toilets within the park, however there is not one at the car park meaning that you have to walk into the park first to find this. They are all level access and large, with wide doors making it easy for a wheelchair user and carer(s) to be present. In the Safari Cafe toilet, there is a hoist, which is ideal if this is required. The toilets themselves are high, which is beneficial for anybody transferring from a wheelchair to the toilet independent or with assistance.

Staff

Plenty of staff around to offer advice, information and assistance. All staff spoken to were very friendly and well informed.