Category:Clare

Clare College Accessibility

 

N.B. The accessibility information provided by this document relates to the permanent features of the rooms themselves. More access information related to specific events should also be provided when advertising events. Here, things to consider include whether there will be a designated quiet space at your event, whether content warnings will be used, whether a British Sign Language interpreter will be present on request, whether your event will include breaks, and whether people are able to leave part-way through your event.

 

Old Court

 

Porters’ Lodge: the standard route into Old Court, through the porters’ lodge, involves one small step and no handrail. Entering through the gate beside the Porters’ Lodge allows step-free access. This requires the opening of 2, relatively heavy gates which the porters will assist with.

 

Godwin Room: there is a small lip, about half a centimeter high, but no steps, to enter this room.

 

Latimer Room: the standard entrance to this room has about 3 steps with no handrail, so isn’t wheelchair-accessible. However, the room can be entered from the other end via the Godwin Room - this needs to be arranged in advance to ensure the Godwin Room is open. There is padded seating with backs.

 

MCR: the standard entrance to this room has about 3 steps with no handrail, so isn’t wheelchair-accessible, but the room can be entered from the other end via the Godwin Room and the Latimer Room - this needs to be arranged in advance to ensure the Godwin Room and Latimer Rooms are open.

 

Hepple Room: there is a small lip, about half a centimeter high, but no steps, to enter this room. Seating is padded - mainly sofas.

 

Thirkill Room: no step-free access - this room is up multiple flights of stairs.

 

Buttery: this is usually accessible via a lift, which can be entered off North Passage (involving the opening of one, relatively heavy door), and takes you to the entrance of the buttery - however, renovations mean that North Passage cannot currently be entered, and is narrowed due to scaffolding. This means that currently there is no step-free access to this room. There is a gender-neutral, accessible toilet at the entrance to the buttery. Most seating is hard, but there is some more padded seating at the end of the buttery furthest from the entrance.

 

Cellars/JCR: this is usually accessible via a lift, which can be entered off North Passage (involving the opening of one, relatively heavy door), and takes you to the entrance of the buttery, through which cellars/the JCR can be entered without any steps - however, renovations mean that North Passage cannot currently be entered, and is narrowed due to scaffolding. This means that currently there is no step-free access to this room. There is padded seating in the form of sofas here. There is a gender-neutral, accessible toilet nearby, at the entrance to the buttery.

 

Great Hall: this is usually accessible via a lift, which can be entered off North Passage (involving the opening of one, relatively heavy door), and takes you to the floor of the Great Hall, allowing step-free access. However, renovations mean that North Passage cannot currently be entered, and is narrowed due to scaffolding. This means that currently there is no step-free access to this room. Seating is not padded. The nearest gender-neutral, accessible toilet is in the buttery, which can still be accessed via the lift.

 

Small Hall: this is usually accessible via a lift, which can be entered off North Passage (involving the opening of one, relatively heavy door), and takes you to the floor of the Small Hall, allowing step-free access. However, renovations mean that North Passage cannot currently be entered, and is narrowed due to scaffolding. This means that currently there is no step-free access to this room. Seating is not padded. The nearest gender-neutral, accessible toilet is in the buttery, which can still be accessed via the lift.

 

Chapel: there are about 5 steps to the Chapel, with no handrail. Seating is not padded.

 

Tutorial Office: there is one, relatively small step, and no handrail.

 

Bursary Office: there is one, relatively small step, and no handrail.

 

The Dean’s Office (E3): there are about 20 steps to this room.

 

Development office: there are about 40 steps to this room.

 

Scholars’ Garden: there are 2 steps going downhill to enter this garden, with no handrail.

 

Master’s Garden: there are 9 steps going downhill to this garden.

 

Fellows’ Garden: step-free access when entered from the entrance via the Old Court entrance off Queen’s Road. The path is sloped downhill.

 

Area on which one can get onto punts: there are 12 steps leading down to this platform, with a handrail. The steps are narrow.

 

The path between Old Court and Memorial Court is wheelchair-accessible. The gate leading out of Old Court, onto Queen’s Road, is quite heavy.

 

Memorial Court

 

Memorial Court itself: the standard entrance, entering the court from Old Court, off Queen’s Road, has about 12 steps, with no handrail. Entering via the gate by X staircase in Lerner Court is a step-free route into the courtyard - during the day, this gate is open, and at night it must be opened, and is quite heavy. Entry from West Road, through the gate opposite the University Library, also allows step-free entry: this gate is very heavy. Step-free access into the court is also possible via the car entrance, which leads to Thirkill Court, through which Memorial Court can be reached.

 

Porters’ Lodge: 2 steps lead up to it, with no handrail.

 

The laundry room opposite the porters’ lodge: 2 steps lead up to it, with no handrail. About 15 steps lead down to the laundry machines. The laundry room in Lerner Court is much more accessible (see below).

 

Accommodation Office: step-free access via a ramp.

 

Support Services Office: step-free access via a ramp.

 

Head Porter’s Office: step-free access via a ramp.

 

Buildings Office: up about 20 steps.

 

Wellbeing Centre: up 20 steps.

 

Bennett Room: up 19 steps.

 

P1 and P2 supervision rooms: step-free access, as they are on the ground floor.

 

R staircase supervision room: step-free access, as they are on the ground floor.

 

Fire Porter’s Office: step-free access, as they are on the ground floor.

 

Health and Wellbeing Centre: step-free access as this is on the ground floor. The door is quite heavy.

 

Gatehouse: wheelchair-accessible (no steps). The chairs are hard, made of plastic.

 

Bennett Room: no step-free access.

 

Neild Room: no step-free access.

 

LCR: wheelchair access is possible via a stairlift. There are toilets next to the LCR but these are not gender neutral (one ‘male’ toilet and one ‘female’ toilet), and quite narrow.

 

Forbes-Mellon Library: wheelchair access is possible via a stairlift to the ground floor, but there is no step-free access to the first floor. There are toilets in the library, next to the LCR, but these are not gender neutral (one ‘male’ toilet and one ‘female’ toilet), and quite narrow.

 

Music Practice Rooms: wheelchair-accessible, as these are on the ground floor.

 

Law Reading Room: step-free access as this is on the ground floor.

 

Lerner Court

 

Gillespie Centre (containing the Riley Auditorium, Bowring Room, Elton Room, Garden Room and Glover Room): contains a gender-neutral, wheelchair-accessible toilet on the ground floor. All rooms are wheelchair-accessible via a lift. All rooms other than the Riley Auditorium contain relatively hard chairs, with backs made of a taut piece of fabric.

 

Riley Auditorium: contains a hearing loop. Seats are padded.

 

X-staircase IT Room: wheelchair-accessible. Chairs are padded, and spin.

 

X-staircase supervision rooms: wheelchair-accessible.

 

Laundry Room: wheelchair-accessible (no steps).

 

The Colony

 

Castle End Meeting Rooms: wheelchair-accessible, via 2 different entrances. One is via a lift, from the entrance to Castle End which is opposite the Porters’ Lodge. The other is via a ramp. Seating is not padded. There is a gender-neutral, wheelchair-accessible toilet next to these rooms.

 

Blythe Room: when this room is entered from the entrance behind the Porters’ Lodge, it is step-free, down a slope, although there are 3 small lips which must be crossed. When it is entered from Castle Street, 7 steps must be climbed. The fire exits are about 5 steps each. There is some padded seating.

 

Laundry Room: when this room is entered from the entrance behind the Porters’ Lodge, it is step-free, down a slope, although there are 3 small lips which must be crossed. When it is entered from Castle Street, 7 steps must be climbed. This room is very narrow.

 

CCR: this room is wheelchair-accessible via a lift at the entrance to Castle End. Seating is padded.

Computer Room: this room is down 12 steps. The chairs are padded, and spin.