Accessibility Guide for The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

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.

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

The main door is side hung and manual.

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low 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.

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. 

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.

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

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.  

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.