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Accessibility Guide for The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

Contact for accessibility enquiries: Visitor Experience Officer - Amy Rosier

email addresshello@roalddahlmuseum.org phone number01494 892192 websitewww.roalddahl.com/museum
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Guide last updated: 10 October 2022

  • At a glance
  • Getting here
  • Arrival
  • Getting around inside
  • Getting around outside
  • Customer care support
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Welcome

Pull a power pose next to Matilda, measure yourself against the BFG, test your sparkiness on the Spark-o-meter and come face-to-face with Fantastic Mr Fox.

 

Your Museum ticket includes crafts, trails and three hands-on interactive galleries. Enjoy storytelling on selected weekend and school holiday dates led by our expert storytellers. Pick up our village and countryside trails and head off to explore the village and countryside that inspired Roald Dahl's stories.

 

We're the home of Roald Dahl's Writing Hut, so don't forget to take a peek into the magical place where all your favourite stories came to life. Plus our tickets include entry for a full year!

The outside of the Museum when viewed from the High Street
  • Level access icon Level Access
  • Hearing icon Hearing
  • Visual icon Visual
  • General icon General

Level access

The main entrance has level access.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Boy gallerySolo galleryCrocodile CorridorThe Story CentreGeorge's Crafty KitchenLower Babbling RoomThe Children Eating RoomThe Chomping RoomUpper Babbling RoomTicket DeskMuseum Accessible ToiletCourtyard Accessible ToiletMuseum ShopCourtyard

Hearing

We have a hearing loop in the shop at both the ticket and shop counters, Solo gallery and the Story Centre.
All staff have disability awareness training. Some staff have BSL and Next Generation Text training.

Visual

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
We have display information in audio and large print.
We have information in audio and large print.

General

We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.
We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
All staff have disability awareness training.
We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

81-83 High Street
Great Missenden
HP16 0AL

Travel by public transport

You can get to The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre by bus and train.
The nearest bus stop is the library bus stop, located on Link Road. The route from the bus stop to the Museum is accessible via pavements with dropped kerbs. As you travel from the bus stop to the Museum there is a zebra crossing to get across Link Road and then the pavement will take you all the way to the museum. The route from the bus stop to the Museum is along a pavement with a minimum width of 970mm and is in good condition. The bus stop is 0.2 miles / 0.3 km from The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
The nearest train station is Great Missenden. The train station is 0.2 miles / 0.3 km from The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.

The station lies on the London Marylebone - Aylesbury line and is served by Chiltern Railways trains. The route from the train station to the Museum is accessible via pavements with dropped kerbs. As you travel from the train station to the Museum there is a tactile paved crossing outside the Library to get across the High Street and then the pavement will take you all the way to the Museum. The route from the train station to the Museum is along a pavement with a minimum width of 970mm and is in good condition. 

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with Kingshill Cars by calling 01494 868699. You can get a taxi with M&F Cars by calling 01494 809484.

Parking

There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.

There is a dropped kerb in front of the museum, although we recommend dropping visitors off at the Link Road Pay and Display car park, as directly outside the Museum the road is narrow and often busy with traffic. 

 

We do not have a car park on site. However, the Link Road Council Pay and Display car park is 250 metres from the Museum. This can be paid for either by coins or the RingGo App or Phoneline, quoting location code 9022. It offers 72 standard spaces and 2 Blue Badge Holder Disabled spaces. Please note that the minimum width of the pavement leading to and from this carpark is 800mm, with the rest of the paved route to the Museum having a minimum width of 970mm.

 

Opposite there is another Pay and Display car park - Buryfields.This can be paid for either by coins or the RingGo App or Phoneline, quoting location code 9033. It offers 39 standard spaces and 2 Blue Badge Holder Disabled spaces. 

 

Additional Pay and Display car parking is available at Great Missenden train station. This can be paid for either by the RingGo App or Phoneline, quoting location code 2614, or at the Station ticket machines or desk. It offers 379 standard spaces and 6 Blue Badge Holder Disabled spaces. Please note there is a "Great Missenden Shopper Short Stay (3 hours)" tariff between 10.00 - 18.00 for £2.00 all week. 

 

There is a disabled parking bay on the High Street, located 118 meters from the Museum.

Close up view of the dropped kerb outside the Museum entrance Entrance to Link Road Car Park when viewed from Link Road Google Maps route plan from Link Road Car Park to the Museum Entrance to Buryfield Car Park when viewed from Link Road Google Maps route plan from Buryfield Car Park to the Museum Great Missenden Train Station Car Park Google Maps route plan from Great Missenden Train Station Car Park to the Museum The disabled parking bay located on the High Street, Great Missenden Wider view of the disabled parking bay on High Street, Great Missenden

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
The path is 1040mm wide, or more.
The path is sloped.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
The door is 1105mm wide.
The main door is side hung and manual.

There are chicane barriers in the entrance way to the Museum to prevent small children running straight out onto the road, but these are easily navigable in a wheelchair or can be folded back if required.

 

 

Museum archway showing chicanes and gentle downward slope Museum archway with the chicane barriers held back The Museum entrance showing the double doors

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
Entrance to Boy gallery from corridor Inside Boy gallery demonstrating the low level lighting

Lift

We have 1 lift.
You can get a lift to all floors.

Lift to first floor areas

The lift is a platform lift.
The lift door is 900mm wide.
The lift is 1130mm wide. The lift is 1450mm deep.
The door to the lift is manually operated. The lift is operated by push buttons that are to be held down for the entire duration of movement. There are three control buttons on the lift. There are embossed "Up" and "Down" arrows to indicate direction of travel, as well as an alarm button, which has an embossed bell image on it. Pressing the alarm button will activate a warning siren to alert staff. In the event of an emergency evacuation, we have two Evac+ chairs located on the first floor, which all Duty Officers are trained to use.
The lift shown from the ground floor The lift shown from the first floor Inside of the lift The lift control panel Close up image of the lift control buttons

Ticket/ information desk

Ticket Desk

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1520mm wide, or more.
The door is 2090mm wide, or more.
The desk has a low section.

On approach to the ticket desk from the main entrance, there is a ramp, leading to a small step on the left and the continued ramp to the right.  There is then a section 1350mm wide to enter the main body of the shop.  

The ticket and shop counter reaches a maximum height of 900mm and includes a lowered section, at a height of 750mm. 

View of the approach from the main entrance to the shop and ticket desk A close up view of the small step and ramp intersection in the shop The ticket desk showing the lowered section View of the shop entrance from within the shop area

Things to See and Do

We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.
We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
We have display information in: audio and large print.

Boy gallery

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The door is 1680mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users.

There is an audio visual presentation on loop, with printed audio transcripts permanently available in the gallery. There is a touchscreen station displaying additional information.

Crocodile corridor leading to Boy gallery through the chocolate doors Inside Boy gallery Inside Boy gallery

Solo gallery

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1160mm wide, or more. The door is 1460mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.

There are audio clips and sound effects played in Solo gallery, which can be adjusted on request. There is an audio visual presentation on a loop, with printed audio transcripts permanently available in the gallery. There are touchscreen stations displaying additionalgallery information. 

Crocodile corridor showing the entrance to Solo gallery on the right hand side Solo gallery entrance from the Crocodile corridor View as you enter Solo gallery from Crocodile corridor Internal view of Solo gallery Internal view of Solo gallery Internal view of Solo gallery showing the entrance to Roald Dahl's writing hut Internal view of Solo gallery Internal view of Solo gallery Internal view of Solo gallery showing another aspect of Roald Dahl's writing hut

Crocodile Corridor

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1150mm wide, or more. The door is 1000mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

The Crocodile corridor connects the main entrance to Boy and Solo galleries. There is a buggy store area off this corridor, where a wheelchair is available for those who may need it.  There is a bench without arms.  

Crocodile corridor showing bench seating area Doors at the end of the Crocodile corridor out towards the Story Centre

The Story Centre

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1000mm wide, or more. The door is 1310mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.
Videos have subtitles.

There are audio recordings with headphones; printed audio transcripts are permanently available in the gallery. There is a touchscreen station displaying additional gallery content. The sound for the central video playing in the Story Centre is activated by motion sensor, it will only play audio when it detects movement near the screen. The volume for this video can be adjusted on request. 

Entrance to the Story Centre Entrance to the Story Centre View of the Story Centre from the entrance into the gallery View of the Story Centre from right hand front corner View of the seating area near the replica writing hut in the Story Centre View of the central walkway through the Story Centre to George's Crafty Kitchen

George's Crafty Kitchen

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1000mm wide, or more. The door is 1570mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

This is our craft space, designed to provide visitors, both young and old, with a creative outlet. There are 3 sets of non-static tables (table height is 750mm) and chairs, all equipped with paper, scissors, glue sticks, activity sheets and colouring pencils. 

Entrance to George's Crafty Kitchen Internal view of George's Crafty Kitchen Internal view of George's Crafty Kitchen

Lower Babbling Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1160mm wide, or more. The door is 1160mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Please note the Lower Babbling Room has smell and sound effects. The smell is one of woodland undergrowth, and the sounds are from the various woodland themed books Roald Dahl wrote. These can be turned off on request. 

Interior of the Lower Babbling Room Interior of the Lower Babbling Room

The Children Eating Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 900mm wide, or more. The door is 900mm wide.
There are seats.

Please note that the bench seats (without arms) are movable but the tables are static. The tables are 750mm high. There is 1150mm of space between the two rows of tables. 

Exterior view of doorway of the Children Eating Room Interior view of the Children Eating Room showing the tables and benches

The Chomping Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.
From the lift to this area, the route is 780mm wide, or more. The door is 780mm wide.
There are seats.

The tables and bench seats (without arms) are all movable. The table heights are 720mm. There is 970mm of space between the two rows of tables. 

The inside of the Chomping Room looking back towards the lift lobby The inside of the Chomping Room looking towards the Upper Babbling Room Route from the first floor lift lobby area through to the Chomping Room

Upper Babbling Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.
From the lift to this area, the route is 780mm wide, or more. The door is 900mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Please note, this is a multi-purpose space and as such may be laid out differently to the photographs shown here. All the chairs are without arms. 

The inside of the Upper Babbling Room from the doorway The inside of the Upper Babbling Room looking towards the lobby area

Public toilet

Museum Accessible Toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.
The route is 890mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 890mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the right.
There is 980mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1250mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

The accessible toilet has a manual door. There is an emergency pull cord installed. Please note that the closest registered Changing Places toilet is located at Tesco Superstore, Amersham, 6 miles/9.2 km from the Museum. 

External view of the accessible toilet within the main Museum toilet area Internal view of the accessible toilet within the main Museum toilet area

Public toilet

Courtyard Accessible Toilet

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.
The route is 890mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 890mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the right.
There is 940mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1680mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 48mm high. The toilets have handrails.

The ramp has a maximum width of 1500mm.  

The accessible toilet has a manual door. There is an emergency pull cord installed. Please note that the closest registered Changing Places toilet is located at Tesco Superstore, Amersham, 6 miles/9.2 km from the Museum.

External view of the courtyard accessible toilet (door on the left)  Internal view of the courtyard accessible toilet The ramp and steps to access the courtyard accessible toilet

Shop

Museum Shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1520mm wide, or more. The door is 2090mm wide.
The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

On approach to the shop from the main entrance, there is a ramp, leading to a small step on the left and the continued ramp to the right.  There is then a section 1350mm wide to enter the main body of the shop. There is a permanent ramp within the shop interior to join two levels.  

The ticket and shop counter reaches a maximum height of 900mm and includes a lowered section, at a height of 750mm.

Entrance to the Museum shop Interior view of the Museum shop showing permanent ramp to join two levels Interior view of the Museum shop

Getting around outside

Picnic Area

Some tables have space for wheelchair users. You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

The courtyard tables are heavy but not fixed and can be moved around. There is a mixture of chairs with and without arms. 

Courtyard

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The entrance is 2580mm wide.

Please note the courtyard area is made up of paving and a semi-circular area of medium sized cobbles; in places the surface is quite uneven. The courtyard can be accessed either through the Wonka Gates, which are usually open to 1150mm but have a maximum width of 2580mm. Alternatively there is a side gate, which has a maximum width of 1340mm.  

The Museum courtyard seating area, showing tables, chairs and parasols

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.
We have a hearing loop in the shop at both the ticket and shop counters, Solo gallery and the Story Centre.
Assistance dogs are welcome at the museum. Buryfield Recreation Ground, which is located 0.3 miles away from the Museum, can be used for their needs. We can provide a water bowl on request.
Buryfield Recreation Ground
You can hire mobility equipment from Better Mobility by calling 0808 2959 909.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

We have two Evac+ chairs located on the first floor areas, with all Duty Officers being trained in their use.  

Customer care support

All staff have disability awareness training.
Some staff have Next Generation Text training.
Some staff have BSL training.
We have information in audio and large print.
Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.
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