Access information:
- There is level access
- There is a hearing loop and one member of staff uses British sign language
Visitor Information Centre
The Visitors Information Centre has clearly considered how to make their facilities as accessible as possible. Although signs arent particularly clear, the building is easy to get into, and the centre provides a wide range of accessible information.
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Address:
Royal Pavilion Shop
Pavilion Buildings
Brighton
BN1 1EE
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Phone:
0906 711 2255 (Calls cost 50p/min at standard rate)
Minicom: 01273 292595
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Web:
www.visitbrighton.com
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Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Opening Times:
The Centre is open daily from 9.30am - 5pm.
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Getting There / Parking:
The Centre is the left-hand side of the Royal Pavilion Shop, in Pavilion Buildings, the short pedestrian street which runs between North Street and the Pavilion Gardens. It is a 15- 20 minute walk from the main line railway station, mainly hilly. Many buses stop in North Street, a few minutes away.
Across the Gardens northwards there are some disabled parking bays in Church Street. There are also four disabled bays in New Road, on the west of the Gardens. This looks like a pedestrian only road but you can drive along it to park. You enter from Church Street and you must park in the marked area only (this does not look like usual parking spaces - you need to park over a metal wheelchair symbol sunk into the pavement) and leave via North Street.
There is an NCP car park about half way up Church Street, plus one in Churchill Square and another in the Lanes, with its entrance in Black Lion Street.
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Getting In:
The doorway, which is also the door of the Pavilion Shop, is quite wide, and has an automatic opening pad on the left-hand side with a wheelchair symbol on it, so it is easy to get in. This brings you into the Shop, and turning left there is a ramp which takes you up into the Centre. There is also another ramp further down the Shop.
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Getting Around / Facilities:
Although not large, the Centre is uncluttered. It has open bookcases around the walls with leaflets, books and maps. There is information about Brighton and Hove, Sussex, the rest of the British Isles, and other related subjects. Some of the shelves are high, but you are encouraged to ask for help.
There is a long counter where you can speak to someone and get more information.
For those with hearing impairments there is a hearing loop system there, and one of the staff uses British Sign Language. (If you have a special Minicom phone, you can ring in on 01273 292595 - you cannot get through to this number on a normal phone)
The Centre has a wide range of information sheets which can be made available in large type, Braille, or on audio tape and CD. There are sheets about accessibility in Brighton generally, and on accessible places to stay, visit and eat.
Staff were very helpful. There is a lot more available than is obvious for visually impaired customers e.g. an enlarged City Centre map, so do ask staff what help they can give and what is available.
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Additional Comments:
The Visitor Centre could easily be missed, as it doesn't stand out like the previous Tourist Information Office in Bartholomew Square. Because it is in a listed building, there are limitations as to what can be displayed on the outside or in the windows.
From the point of view of someone visiting the Centre with a visual impairment, signs are quite high and are not visible enough. We were asked by the Council to review this Centre and have fed back this and our other comments. They are taking these into consideration and will make changes as they try to be as accessible as possible.
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Reviewed By:
Pat and Chris
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Review Date:
March 2009, updated 10/3/2011 by Pappya
Published in
Public Buildings & Community Centres - Brighton
