Accessibility

• Anyone visiting or staying at the college who requires assistance with any aspect of emergency evacuation should complete a PEEP Form.
• Upon arrival, please ask for the form at the Porters' Lodge and ensure you hand it in to a Porter once it has been completed.
• If you would like to complete the form ahead of arrival, a blank copy can be accessed from the downloads section at the top of this page.

• We welcome assistance dogs throughout our premises as an auxiliary aid to a disabled person.

• We are piloting incorporating NaviLens codes into the signage and wayfinding infrastructure of the site.
• NaviLens has been designed specifically to enable blind and partially sighted people to be able to access and locate information and interact with the environment around them.
• By pointing your phone camera in the general direction you want to scan, the NaviLens app can recognise NaviLens codes in the vicinity. It does this without the need to focus on the code or know exactly where it is situated. Information is then presented both visually, audibly and through haptics; effectively through touch.
• For more information, please visit the RNIB website:
  • https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/assistive-aids-and-technology/navigation-and-communication/navilens/
• We would be grateful for any feedback from users of this service.

• There are two defibrillators on site.
  • One is located at the Porters' Lodge
  • One is located in Paula Browne House Conference Centre Foyer
• All college Porters are first aid trained with the majority also having received mental health training.
  • The Porters' Lodge is staffed 24/7 (except briefly during security checks) and is reachable on 01223 762100.

In an emergency, always call 999. 

Car, Taxi and Coach Drop-off

• Our car and taxi drop-off location is the turning circle in front of the College's main entrance, located off of Buckingham Road.
  • The area is wide and fully paved. There is a ramp from this area to the main entrance (bypassing the steps).

• Coach drop-offs can occur parallel to the college site on Huntingdon Road, near the 'Histon Road Corner' bus stop on the out-bound lane (in the direction of Girton).
  • There is flat, paved access directly to the main entrance from this location.

Parking

• There are two parking bays outside the main entrance on the turning circle for disabled visitors. A blue badge is not required if parking has been pre-arranged.

Storey's Way

• Two out of fifty-eight bays are reserved for disabled visitors. A blue badge is not required if a bay has been requested prior to arrival.

• Access to the college from the car park is via a slabbed footpath. There is a slight incline/decline and unevenness at points.  

Main Entrance and Porters' Lodge

Main Entrance

• The main entrance is located off Buckingham Road.
• The entrance can be reached via a ramp next to the turning circle or via a flat footpath directly from Huntingdon Road (see parking and drop-off section above).
• The entrance doors are two, non-motorised, glass doors with pull handles. There is an intercom should you need assistance to the right, half-way down the length of the doors. 

Porters' Lodge (reception area)

• The Porters’ Lodge is situated just above ground level (with the previously described ramp access available).
• You will immediately be in the Lodge once you come through the doors and this is a wide, clear space.
• There are normally visitors’ chairs in this area.
• The floor is flat stone and the area is well-lit.

Central Walkway (internal and external)

• The majority of rooms and buildings located on the main site are accessed via the central walkway which runs from the main entrance (Porters' Lodge) to Paula Browne House Conference Centre and accommodation.
• Past the Porters' Lodge there is a ramp with a handrail (bypassing three steps).

• Just beyond the ramp there are double doors, one of which is a power-assisted door with a disabled 'push to open' button on both sides.

• Past the power-assisted door, the walkway continues on a straight, flat, carpeted and tiled route with lighting throughout until it reaches the library entrance on the left and double doors to the external portion of the walkway straight ahead.
  • The doors to the external walkway open inward and are not power-assisted.

• The external portion of the walkway extends from the end of the internal walkway to the entrance of Paula Browne House.
  • The walkway is covered by a roof, however it is open on either side to the elements. During and after inclement weather, the tiled flooring can become slippery. The floor is angled slightly to allow for water run-off.

• The entrance to Paula Browne House (accommodation and conference centre) is via non-motorised, glass double doors.
  • A fob is required to unlock the doors, unless it has been prearranged to disable this feature. To exit, an unlock switch is situated on a post to the right, which must be briefly pressed. After a moment the doors will automatically re-lock.
  • Pull handles on each door extend the entire height of the doors. 

Toilets

• Toilets are located in the main building, just off the internal walkway.
• On the ground floor there are gendered facilities and one accessible toilet with an automatic door.

• On the lower ground floor there are gender-neutral facilities and one accessible toilet with a manual door.
• There are no baby-change facilities in the main building. One can be found in the accessible toilet in the foyer of Paula Browne House Conference Centre.

Gardens

Orchard Court

• Our largest outdoor space, Orchard Court, is accessed directly off the external walkway via a ramp without handrails.
• The garden is covered mostly by grass, with a small wild flower meadow around the perimeter and at one end and and a lightly forested area at the other. 

Fellows' Garden

• The Fellows' Garden is not wheelchair accessible via the connected Fellows' Suite or any other route from the main building.
• Wheelchair access is via the path connecting Storey's Way car park to the external walkway. There is no paved route to the garden, but rather a dirt path leading to the grassed area.
• Hazards in this garden include:
  • a shallow pond with a low, wattle fence
  • a steep, declining embankment toward the college building without fencing

• The garden has a patio across two levels connecting it to the Fellows' Suite and main building. Access to the patio is up a raised curb with no ramp. 

Art Cafe

• The Cafe spans across two levels and is accessible via the ground and lower-ground floors. There is a steep, open riser staircase with a handrail connecting the two levels. The main area is located on the lower-ground floor, with additional seating found on the ground floor mezzanine. 

• The cafe has an outdoor seating area in Fountain Court, which is accessed via the lower-ground floor. The door opens outwards and is wide.
  • Hazards include the un-fenced water fountain, which fully surrounds the seating area and is flush with the floor.

• The route for wheelchair users and those who are unable to use the cafe's internal staircase is as follows:
  • Turning off the internal walkway and onto the corridor toward the Fellows' Suite and Garden, follow the corridor down to the end. Take the doors leading to the second set of spiral stairs on the right-hand side.
  • The door is power-assisted with a disabled 'push to open' button.
  • Take the lift to level -1.
  • Go through the manual doors in front of you as you exit the lift.
  • The cafe is accessible via a single manual door to the left in the corridor.

Women's Art Collection Exhibition Corridor

• Our exhibition space is a long, wide corridor that looks out onto Fountain Court.
• The artworks sit along the left side of the corridor, and on the right are glass windows.

• Unfortunately, the doors to the exhibition space are not motorised. We are working to improve this.
• There are three benches along the exhibition space.

Dome Dining Hall

• The dining hall is located on level 1 in the main college building (above the ground floor).
• The dining hall is accessible via 4 spiral staircases, one of which includes a lift in the centre.
• Lift access is via an automatic door with a 'push to open' button on the ground floor of the main building.

• All entrances to the dining hall are via sensor-operated automatic doors. A push button is operated to open the door to exit the space - these are found next to the door on an individual post. 

• An evacuation chair is located by the staircase with the lift on the dining hall level.

Fellows' Suite (Drawing and Dining Room)

• The Fellows' Suite is unfortunately not a wheelchair-accessible space.
• The room is divided into three sections:
  • a raised area as you enter from the main building
  • a drawing room (down 3 steps without a handrail) with access to a patio and the Fellows' Garden
  • a dining room also with direct garden access
• For information on access to the garden, please see the 'public areas' section above.

Long Room

• The room is accessed directly from the Porters' Lodge foyer at the front of the main site.
• There is step-free access to this room via two sets of manual, wooden, double doors with pull handles, which are separated by a vestibule.
• The room is flat-floored throughout.
• There is a lectern with a goose-neck microphone and a wireless microphone receiver for projected speech.
• The room is well lit from windows on either side and has various light configurations and dimming capabilities. 

Jocelyn Bell Burnell Room (JBB)

• The room is accessed directly from the Porters' Lodge foyer at the front of the main site.
• There is step-free access to this room via a set of manual, wooden, double doors with pull handles.
• The room is flat-floored throughout.
• The room is well lit from windows at the rear and lighting.

Council Room

• The room is accessed directly from the Porters' Lodge foyer at the front of the main site.
• There is step-free access to this room via a set of manual, wooden, double doors with pull handles.
• The room is flat-floored throughout.
• The room is well lit with various light configurations and skylights.

Vivien Stewart Room 1+2

• The room is accessed directly from the internal walkway at the centre of the main site.
• There is step-free access to both rooms via two sets of manual, wooden, double doors without a vestibule - one pull and the second push. These doors can be rather heavy. The inner doors can be magnetised to stay open, while the outer doors require door stops.
• The two rooms are separated by a collapsible inner wall, creating one larger room accessed by either set of doors.
• Vivien Stewart Room 1 has a lectern with a goose-neck microphone and a wireless microphone receiver for projected speech, which can also be played into Room 2.

Fellows' Suite (FDR)

• This space does not have step-free access.
• Please see the 'Dining room' section for further information.

Music and Video Rooms

• These rooms do not have step-free access.

Christopher Stevenson Room (CSR)

• There is step-free access to this room from the external walkway.
• This room is located on the ground floor within H staircase of Orchard Court accommodation block.
  • A fob is required to access the building via a wide, manual door with a pull handle.
• The room is accessed via a manual, single push door.
  • A fob is required to access the room.

Buckingham House

• The conference centre is located away from the college's main building, situated on Buckingham Road - directly opposite (across the road from) the turning circle/main entrance to the college.
• For information relating to the bedrooms situated above the conference centre, please see the 'accommodation' section.

Entrance

• The entrance is accessible via a power-assisted door with a 'push to open' button. Past this door, in the entrance vestibule, is a set of manual glass double doors, which can be pushed or pulled. 

Foyer, Decking and Seminar Rooms 1+2

• All main meeting rooms and facilities within the conference centre are located off the foyer on the ground floor.
• Seminar Room 1 and 2 are located to the left of the registration desk and are accessible via manual pull doors. The dividing wall can be retracted, turning it into one, larger space.
• Both rooms are flat-floored and are well lit from windows and configurable lighting.
• Seminar Room 2 has a fire-escape door with a push bar at the back of the room, opening out to onto the decking.

• The outdoor decking is accessible via sliding glass doors. There is a slight lip at the threshold. 

Toilets

• Gendered toilets and one accessible toilet are located at the rear of the conference centre foyer, to the right of the servery. 

Lecture Theatre

• The lecture theatre is located at the very end of the foyer and is accessed via manual wooden double doors with pull handles, leading to a vestibule. 

• Turning left, there is a route to a lift, which provides access to the front row of seating and the stage.
  • Use of the lift must be pre-arranged as a key is required to operate it.

• Turning right is the main entrance to the lecture theatre via wooden double doors with pull handles. This leads to the back of the lecture theatre with access to the tiered seating.

• An evacuation chair is located in the alcove of the stage.

Syndicate Rooms 1+2

• Syndicate Room 1 is located on the first floor and Syndicate Room 2 is located on the second floor, both amongst the accommodation. They can be accessed from the foyer via manual, glass double doors with pull handles down the length of the doors.

• This opens into the accommodation entrance lobby, where a lift is located (alongside a steep staircase with handrails on either side).

• The syndicate rooms can also be accessed from outside the conference centre via the accommodation main entrance. For further details, see the 'accommodation section'.

• Once on the first or second floor, there is a manual, wooden pull door leading to the bedrooms and syndicate rooms.

• Each syndicate room has two, manual push doors - one on either side of the room.

Paula Browne House

• The conference centre is located at the end of the external walkway on the main college site. For further information, see the 'corridors and routes' section.
• For information relating to the bedrooms situated alongside the conference centre, please see the 'accommodation' section.

Access

• The conference centre can be accessed in three ways:
  1. Via the main pedestrian entrance ramp
  2. Via the external walkway
  3. Via the Paula Browne House car park

Access via Main Entrance (ramp)

• The main entrance is located just within the Hutingdon Road gates of the college site with signage reading 'Paula Browne House'.
• The ramp has a gentle gradient which curves around the building.

• Access is via manual, glass double doors with pull handles.
  • A fob is required to unlock the doors, unless it has been prearranged to disable this feature. To exit, an unlock switch is situated to the right, which must be briefly pressed. After a moment the doors will automatically re-lock.

Access via External Walkway

• The entrance to Paula Browne House (accommodation and conference centre) is via non-motorised, glass double doors.
  • A fob is required to unlock the doors, unless it has been prearranged to disable this feature. To exit, an unlock switch is situated to the right, which must be briefly pressed. After a moment the doors will automatically re-lock.
  • Pull handles on each door extend the entire height of the doors. 

• Through the glass doors is a lobby with access to accommodation areas and, to the right, a corridor leading to the Conference Centre Foyer via Seminar Rooms 1, 2 and 3.
  • There are multiple manual doors in this corridor. A fob is required to unlock the doors, unless it has been prearranged to disable this feature.
    • Some doors do not have a exit button, but rather a fob reader on both sides. Emergency 'press to exit' buttons are located by the readers in these instances, providing a non-step free escape route.
  • From the lobby, turn right and pass through the first pull door with a handle half-way up.

• Then pass through a push door, followed by a final pull door with a handle half-way up.

Access via Car Park

• There is direct access to the conference centre from the car park via an automatic, glass door. A fob is required to unlock the door at all times. 

• This leads to a corridor with a ramp on a decline. A handrail is situated to the left against the wall at this section.

• Access to the foyer and all other floors of the building is via a lift.

Foyer

• The foyer provides access to various spaces and facilities, including:
  • Seminar Rooms 1, 2 and 3 (via corridor to external walkway)
  • Lecture Theatre
  • Lift to all floors
  • North and South staircases to all floors
  • Gendered and gender neutral toilet facilities.
  • An accessible toilet with baby-change facilities. 

• A evacuation chair is located in the foyer by the entrance to the North stairwell.

Toilets

• Gendered toilets are located by the North and South stairwells.
• 2 gender-neutral toilets are located on the first, second and third floors.
• There is one accessible toilet in the conference centre, located by the South stairwell.
  • Accessed via a manual, wooden door with pull handle.

Lecture Theatre

• The lecture theatre can be accessed via two doors on the ground floor, one on either side of the space.
  • To reach these entrances from the foyer, you must first enter either the North or South stairwell - both of which have a manual, metal/glass door with pull handles separating the spaces.

• A second manual, metal/glass door with pull handles separates the stairwells from the Lecture Theatre entry doors in a glass-walled vestibule.

• The doors to the Lecture Theatre are manual, wooden and have pull handles and opens onto the front row of seating.

• The front row of seats are collapsible, providing space for wheelchair users.

• There are two more manual, wooden doors with pull handles providing access to the top of the tiered seating. These can be accessed from the Gallery level by taking the lift to floor 1.
• Please note that unlike Buckingham House, the stage does not have step-free access. Four steep steps provide access from both sides of the stage - one of which has a handrail.
• The Lecture Theatre has a hearing loop.

Teaching Rooms 1-4

• All teaching rooms can be accessed by taking the lift to floor 2.
• The lift lobby provides direct access to teaching rooms 1 and 2.
  • The rooms can be configured into one large room, two rooms or four.

• When the teaching rooms are divided into 4 rooms, access from the lift lobby to rooms 3 and 4 are via two manual, glass/metal doors. 

Conference Room

• All teaching rooms can be accessed by taking the lift to floor 3.
• The lift lobby provides direct access to the conference room via two of the four doors to the room.

Buckingham House

• The accommodation is located above Buckingham House Conference Centre, on floors 1 and 2.
• The conference centre is situated away from the college's main building, on Buckingham Road - directly opposite (across the road from) the turning circle/main entrance to the college.
• There are two twin, accessible bedrooms in Buckingham House:
  • BH13 - first floor
  • BH28 - second floor

Access

• The main entrance to the accommodation block is via a large, manual, glass door with a pull handle up the length of the door.
• The door requires a fob to unlock, which is provided with, and attached to the bedroom key received upon check-in. There is a small, metal button inside to unlock the door and the door will automatically re-lock a few seconds after unlocking.

• This opens into the accommodation entrance lobby, where a lift is located (alongside a steep staircase with handrails on either side).
  • The accommodation lobby can also be accessed directly from the conference centre foyer via manual, glass double doors with push handles down the length of the doors.

• Once on the first and second floor, there is a manual, wooden pull door leading to the bedrooms 

Pearl House

• The accommodation block is located in the main college site.
• There are the following four, single accessible bedrooms in Pearl House:
  • J11 - single
  • K11 - single
  • M11 - single
  • N11 - single
• All bedroom corridors have manual fire doors throughout, which remain closed.

Access

• The main entrance to the accommodation block is via a manual, wooden pull door located off the external walkway.
  • For further information, please see the 'corridors and routes' section.

• Due to the layout of the building, the lift is located centrally. To avoid walking through the ground floor corridor (floor J)—which has multiple, manual doors to operate—to access the stairwell and lift lobby, there is an alternate route from the external walkway.
  • As you exit the internal walkway via the doors perpendicular to the library entrance, take a left and follow the path parallel to the library building in the direction of Storey's Way car park.
  • The path then branches right toward Pearl House and continues at a slight decline to the entrance located at the middle of the building.
  • A manual, glass, pull door provides access to the central stairwell and lift.
    • The door requires a fob to unlock, which is provided with, and attached to the bedroom key received upon check-in. There is a small, metal button inside to unlock the door and the door will automatically re-lock a few seconds after unlocking.

• Each floor is accessed via a manual, wooden, pull door.

Paula Browne House

• Paula Browne House accommodation is located alongside the conference centre of the same name.
• There are no specially-configured accessible bedrooms in this block.
• Please note that floor T does not have step-free/lift access. All other floors (R and S) are accessible via a lift.
• All doors to accommodation require a fob to unlock, which is provided with, and attached to the bedroom key received upon check-in. There is a release mechanism to unlock the door from the inside and the door will automatically re-lock a few seconds after unlocking.
• All bedroom corridors have manual fire doors throughout, which remain closed. 

Access

• The accommodation block can be accessed from all the same routes as the conference centre.
  • Please see the 'conference centre' section for further information.

Step-free Access to R

• R corridor can be accessed from the conference centre by taking the lift to floor -1.
  • As you exit the lift, turn left and follow the corridor up the slight incline. There is a handrail on the right.
• Alternatively, these bedrooms can be accessed via Paula Browne House car park.
  • Once through the automatic door (see the 'conference centre' section), turn left.
• Both routes will lead you to the accommodation entrance, which is a wooden, manual pull door with a card/fob reader.

Step-free Access to S Corridor

• S corridor can be accessed from the conference centre by taking the lift to floor 1.
  • As you exit the lift, follow the gallery to the accommodation entrance.
  • Pass through the outer manual, wooden pull door followed by a second door with card/fob reader.

Orchard Court

• There are no specially-configured accessible bedrooms in this block.
• Only ground-floor bedrooms have step-free access.
• All bedroom corridors have manual fire doors throughout, which remain closed.
• Doors to this block require a fob to unlock, which is provided with, and attached to the bedroom key received upon check-in. There is a small, metal button inside to unlock the door and the door will automatically re-lock a few seconds after unlocking.