A day out in London in a wheelchair can seem like a daunting experience.
It is all about answering questions like:
“How do I get around?”
“Where are all the accessible loos?”
“What are the best wheelchair friendly attractions?”
Hopefully this short blog should help you answer some of these questions and have better London experience. As always with everything
Getting Around
Transport For London have concentrated efforts and minds to in their words:
“Find out more about our ongoing efforts to make travelling in London accessible for everyone.”
Many more Tube stations, boats and bus stations, now have ramps, lifts and flat services. Additionally, you can find about the facilities at each station here.
However, you might still find to really enjoy your Day Out In London In A Wheelchair, you need to use a taxi service.
Uber
Uber is a ride hailing app that uses the GPS in your smartphone to get to where you need to be. You can pretty much get a vehicle of any shape and size in London. This includes accessible vans for those who cannot transfer through Uber WAV. If you need help, go for the Assist option and you will get a specially trained driver to help you. Assist does not cost you extra and can be much cheaper than the traditional black cabs.
Also because Uber charges you direct to a debit/credit card, you cannot be overcharged unfairly!
Have You Considered The Train
Trains are one of the most universally accessible modes of public transport. If you are planning a day in London in a wheelchair, going on the train may be cheaper, faster and more straight forward.
How does it work?
If you are travelling on a any of the major service providers, you can book assistance at both ends of the journey. Assistance can be given to help you get on and off the train, and navigate the stations. This can include putting ramps down, carrying luggage and onboard.
The onboard assistance is interesting. For example, if you cannot get to the buffet car but want something, staff will fetch it for you. Also if a toilet breaks make sure you exercise your right to be moved.
To book assistance, either do so when you purchase tickets at a station or see: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/disabled_passengers.aspx
Changing Places
Not all disabled toilets are made equal. For some of us, we need proper facilities and they can sometimes be hard to find. Your best bet is to look at http://www.changing-places.org/find_a_toilet.aspx
Things To Do
We’ve done a few London attraction reviews before. See below for a few ideas about where to go:
See More
https://ethosdisability.com/market-reviews/quokka-bag/
