Access Guide
Summary
- There is onsite parking available here with designated Blue Badge parking.
- The most accessible entrance has: an open entrance with no doors.
- There is step free access once inside.
- Toilet and changing facilities available include: an accessible toilet for the use of everyone and standard toilets.
- This accessible toilet is approximately 15m from the ticket office entrance.
- This venue also has the following available: facilities for assistance dogs, a companion/carer discount, seating, audio format information and a hearing assistance system.
- At this site there is a museum, gift shop, café, children's play area, and model railway exhibition.
Parking
- This venue has a car park.
- This is an open air car park with a loose chippings and compacted gravel surface.
- Parking is free for all users.
- There are 9 Blue Badge parking bays.
- The nearest Blue Badge bay is 4m from the ticket office entrance.
- Potential obstacles between the Blue Badge parking and the entrance include uneven surfaces and loose chippings.
- There is not a designated drop-off point.
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Comments
View
- The parking is split into two areas. The first has limited disabled parking and is located within the train station (photographs 1-4).
- The second area which is the main parking area also has disabled parking available and is located approximately 200 metres further down Station Road (photographs 5-9).
- Although there is no designated drop-off point, visitors are permitted to drop-off at the entrance gates (photograph 10).
Public Transport
- There is not a bus stop within approximately 150m of the venue.
- The nearest train station is Ashford International.
Entrance (Ticket Office)
- There is step-free access at this entrance.
- There are no doors at this entrance.
- The width of the opening is 100cm.
Counter (Ticket Office)
- There is step-free access to this counter.
- There is not a low level counter at the recommended height for seated users.
- There may be background noise here.
- The counter has a hearing assistance system which is not signed.
Entrance (Reception - Ticket Office)
- The entrance surveyed is located on the platform to the left.
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- There is a single manual door which open away from you.
- The width of the opening is 86cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of less than 1.5cm
Reception (Ticket Office)
- There is step-free access to this reception.
- There is a low level desk or counter at the recommended height for wheelchair users.
- There may be background noise here.
- There are a mixture of chairs with and without armrests available in the reception area.
Getting Around the Station
- There is step free access around the station.
- The surface of the paths is concrete.
- There is bench seating available.
Shop (Platform)
- There is a manual door which opens inwards and has a low colour contrast.
- The width of the door opening is 68cm.
- The majority of aisle widths are not 150cm+.
- All flooring in the shop is smooth and even.
- The flooring is not non-slip, with no bold repeating patterns and a non-shiny finish.
- There is step-free access to the till(s).
- There is not a low level till at the recommended height for seated users.
- Services/facilities available in the shop include: a portable card machine for payment and a member of staff to provide assistance.
- There may be background noise here.
- There is a small lip at the entrance to the shop of under 3cm.
Train and Platform
- There is step-free access on the platform.
- There is either 1 deep step directly from the platform onto the train or portable steps can be brought out which have 3 steps with handrails on both sides. The height of the highest step is 15cm and the door width is 78cm (photographs 4 and 5).
- There is a 70cm wide portable ramp available to give access to the accessible carriage and some of the other carriages (photographs 6 and 7).
- Please speak to a member of staff if you need to use the ramp.
- In the "Petros" carriage there are wider aisles available and seating can be moved to create space for a wheelchair users.
Attraction / Exhibit (Model Railway)
- There is stepped access to or in this area.
- The majority of walkways are 150cm+ wide.
- There may be background noise here.
- Exhibit information includes the following formats: information board, interactive exhibits at a recommended height for wheelchair users and pictorial.
- Lighting levels are low in some areas.
- There is a 5cm high unmarked step at the entrance (photographs 3 and 4).
Entrance (Station Refreshment Rooms)
- The entrance surveyed is located at the front right of the building.
- There is stepped access at the entrance.
- There are 2 steps, which have some clear markingsno handrails.
- All of the steps are not at the recommended height (between 15cm - 18cm).
- There are double manual doors which are permanently open.
- The width of the opening is 144cm.
- There is a second manual door which opens away from you.
- The width of the opening is 78cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the entrance with a height of less than 1.5cm
- The exit may be used to enter the building by visitors who may find the steps at this entrance difficult to negotiate.
Eating and Drinking (Station Refreshment Rooms)
- This is a restaurant which serves hot and cold meals and snacks.
- There is a counter where food and drink can be ordered, a self service counter and table service (on request only).
- Staff can provide assistance and offer service to tables.
- The following are available here: drinking straws, takeaway cups, takeaway cutlery, a portable card machine for payment and large-handled mugs.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
- There is no (or very little) background noise here.
- There is not a hearing assistance system.
- There is a counter under 85cm high with a tray rail.
- The counter is 95cm high.
- There is not a section of the counter at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- There is step-free level access around the seating area.
- There are chairs without armrests available in the seating area.
- The seating area does not have: room for a wheelchair user to manoeuvre (150cm x 150cm), a priority table and a mixture of chairs with and without armrests.
- Tables are at a suitable height for a wheelchair user.
- All flooring in the area is smooth and even.
- Some of the flooring has a very shiny finish, which could cause issues with glare or look slippery to some people.
Exit (Station Refreshment Rooms)
- The exit is located to the right of the building.
- There is step-free access via ramp at the exit.
- There are double manual doors which open away from you.
- The width of the opening is 141cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the exit with a height of less than 1.5cm
- There is a steep ramp over 150cm wide beyond the exit, with no handrails.
- This exit may be used to enter the building by visitors who may find the steps at the entrance difficult to negotiate.
Steps (Access to Children's Play Area)
- There are 9 steps.
- The steps are clearly marked with a handrail on the right.
Children's Play Area
- The small children's play area is located to the right of the Tearoom.
- There are 2 picnic style tables available.
- There is a train shaped climbing frame with slide on a grass surface.
Ramp or Slope (Access to Station Accessible Toilet)
- The ramp is slight and between 75cm and 150cm wide .
- The ramp does not have handrails.
Toilet with Adaptations (Station - Left Hand Transfer)
- There is ramped/sloped access into the accessible toilet.
- There is tactile and pictorial signage on or near the toilet door.
- There is a manual door which opens outwards and has a high colour contrast.
- The door has a locking handle.
- The width of the accessible toilet door opening is 85cm.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 145cm x 197cm and it does not have a 150cm x 150cm turning space.
- There is a lateral transfer space to the left of the seat but it is obstructed.
- The lateral transfer space is 75cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a spatula flush on the non transfer side.
- The following grab rails are available: a vertical grab rail on the transfer side, a horizontal grab rail on the door, a vertical rail on the left side of the wash basin and a horizontal grab rail on the non transfer side.
- There is a dropdown rail on the transfer side.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: the internal door, the floor and some grab rails.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: some grab rails, the toilet seat and the dropdown rail.
- There is pull cord emergency alarm at a recommended height for a seated user.
- There is a shelf located where it is reachable.
- The shelf is positioned between 85cm and 105cm and does not have minimum dimensions of 12.5cm x 40cm.
- The coat hooks for seated users are at the recommended height.
- The coat hooks for standing users are not at the recommended height.
- The cubicle also has a nappy/incontinence items bin.
- The cubicle does not have a full length mirror.
- The soap dispenser is 104cm high.
- The toilet roll holder is 107cm high.
- The hand dryer is 101cm high.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 47cm.
- The wash basin is 72cm high.
- The wash basin tap type is lever mixer.
- The following fixtures are at the recommended height for seated users: the toilet seat, the wash basin and the baby change table.
- The following fixtures are not at a recommended height for seated users: the toilet roll holder, the soap dispenser and hand dryer.
- The following fixtures can be reached from the toilet seat: the toilet roll holder and the wash basin.
- The following fixtures cannot be reached from the toilet seat: the soap dispenser and hand dryer.
Toilet with Adaptations ('Petros' Carriage - Left Hand Transfer)
- This toilet is located in the 'Petros' Carriage.
- There is step-free level access into the toilet.
- This toilet is approximately 2m from the train carriage entrance.
- There is written text signage on or near the door.
- The door is manual, opens outwards and has a low colour contrast with the surrounding walls.
- The width of the toilet door opening is 85cm.
- The door has a twist lock.
- The dimensions of the cubicle are 167cm x 155cm and it does not have a 150cm x 150cm turning space.
- There is a lateral transfer space to the left of the seat.
- The lateral transfer space is 90cm from the side of the toilet pan to the wall.
- There is a lever flush on the non transfer side.
- The following grab rails are available: a vertical rail on the right side of the wash basin.
- There is a dropdown rail on the non transfer side.
- The following fixtures can be reached from the toilet seat: wash basin and toilet roll holder.
- The height of the toilet seat above floor level is 42cm.
- The height of the toilet roll holder is 81cm.
- The wash basin tap type is lever.
- The height of the wash basin is 81cm.
- The height of the baby change is 77cm.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm at a recommended height (within 10cm from the floor).
- There is a shelf located where it is reachable for seated and standing users.
- The shelf does meet the criteria for Stoma Friendly Toilets. For the Stoma Friendly Toilets criteria click here and select the Stoma Friendly tab in the right hand pane.
- The cubicle has: a waste bin without lid.
- The cubicle does not have a full length mirror.
- The height of the coat hook is 158cm from the floor.
- The following have a high colour contrast with their surroundings: the dropdown rail, all grab rails, the floor and the internal door.
- The following have a less clear colour contrast with their surroundings: the toilet seat.
- Lighting levels are moderate to good.
Steps (Access to Standard Toilets)
- There is one step.
- The step is clearly marked but there are no handrails.
Standard Toilet(s) (Station)
- There is stepped access into the toilet(s).
- There is a manual door which opens inwards and has a high colour contrast.
- The width of the door opening is 78cm.
- The male and female standard toilets were surveyed.
- The wash basin tap type is twist/turn.
- Lighting levels are low in the cubicle.
- The single clearly marked steps to the male and female toilets at a height of 8cm.
Steps (Access to Parent and Baby Room)
- There is one step.
- The step is not clearly marked and there are no handrails.
Parent and Baby Room / Breastfeeding Room (Station)
- There is stepped access into the parent and baby room.
- There is a baby change facility which is not at a recommended height.
- There is a chair with armrests on both sides.
- Waste bins include: a general waste bin with lid.
Related Access Guides
- To view other AccessAble Detailed Access Guides that are related to this one please use the links below.
- Tenterden Town Station - Railway Museum link (new tab) - click here
- Tenterden Town Station - The Tearoom link (new tab) - click here