Accessible Brighton

Introduction to accessibility in Brighton
Brighton and Hove Shopmobility
Environment and Geography
Travelling
Public Toilets
Wheelchair and Scooter Hire
Useful Links

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Introduction to accessibility in Brighton
The Visitor Information Centre in Brighton provides as much assistance as possible for visitors with disabilities.  The centre is fully accessible to the disabled.  For details of where to hire a wheelchair, please contact us or Shopmobility (see below).

For those with hearing difficulties, communication via Minicom is possible on 01273 292595.  Please note you will not get through to this number with a normal phone. The Visitor Information Centre also has a wide range of information sheets, which can be made available in large type, Braille or audio tape. Please contact us for more information.

Each provider record on this site gives details of disabled access. If you are looking for somewhere to stay, click through to  Accommodation to search for the type of accommodation you require, and select the ‘Disabled Accessible’ option for a list of providers that offer disabled access.

You will notice that each accommodation record also provides details of its individual 'accessibility'. It is advisable to contact the provider for specific information before visiting the city.

If you wish to find out about hotels that have been independently assessed, visit the Disabled Go website.

Anticipating accessible needs
For information on the promotion of independence for people with disabilities who are living in or visiting Brighton and Hove, please visit the Brighton and Hove Federation of Disabled People site. This umbrella organisation works to identify gaps within the City when services are being planned and developed, making sure that disabled people's views are heard.

From the 1st October 2004, under the new Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), tourism businesses will be aware of the 'reasonable' measures they must take to anticipate the needs of disabled visitors. Please click here for DDA guidelines.

Brighton & Hove Shopmobility
Brighton & Hove Shopmobility is a scheme that, for a small charge, provides manual and powered wheelchairs and scooters to members of the public with limited mobility, so they can shop in Churchill Square shopping centre and enjoy other facilities in the city centre and on the seafront.

It's a popular scheme, so pre-book early, or call into the shop in Churchill Square Car Park 1, Level P3. Please note, the shop is open Mon-Fri 0900-1600 inclusive. Tel: 01273 323239.

Environment & Geography
For people who have not visited Brighton before, it may be helpful to know that Brighton is situated on a hill that runs from north to south, and from west to east across the city centre.  This means that some of the routes within the centre are quite steep, with gradients of up to 1:6 (including Trafalgar Street which runs east to west from the train station).

Wheelchair users arriving by train are therefore advised to use Queens Road as the main road to the city centre, and then either Western Road to the main shops, West Street to the sea, or North Street to the shopping areas of the North Laine and the Lanes, and the Royal Pavilion.

In summertime the council's seafront officers roll out special mobility matting on the beach at Brighton to provide a pathway for wheelchair users and childrens’ buggies.

There are also Healthwalks available along the seafront. These are  gentle, wheelchair and buggy friendly, walks between the Brighton Pier and the West Pier Playground (walk just under 1 mile).

Some of the streets in the historic parts of the city can be rather narrow, which means that they can become quite congested. Please contact the Visitor Information Centre staff for information on forthcoming major events, which might help you to plan your trip.

Travelling
By car - Orange/Blue Badge holders can park free and for unlimited time in Voucher Parking spaces and in on-street pay & display spaces in Brighton & Hove. Additionally Blue Badge holders with a clock are allowed to park on yellow lines for up to three hours, provided they are not causing an obstruction. 

Click here to find out where there are Blue Badge parking bays in Brighton.

For more information please call the Brighton Parking Shop on 01273 293225 or the Hove Parking Shop on 01273 292426. NB: Parking in the city centre car parks is not free for Blue Badge holders.

By bus - There are many low-floor, easy access buses in service. Approximately 130 of these have access for a wheelchair. The bus timetable is available on-line or in large print.  Main bus stops have "real time" information screens for passengers, and some buses have screens showing the next bus stop.

For details contact Brighton & Hove Bus Company on 01273 886200.  Certain door to door services can be booked - please call 01273 505888.

By train - Southern Railway's new trains have ramps for wheelchair access, designated accessible spaces in some cars, and an accessible WC, as well as colour schemes and visual & audible announcements that are helpful to people with a sensory disability. 

Southern Railway also offers advice on the accessibility of stations and help on and off trains - people who require assistance need to book this at least 24 hours in advance. They can also arrange for accessible taxis to be made available at no cost on Southern routes to take passengers with disabilities from and to stations which are not accessible to and from stations that are.

For further informaton call 08451 272920 or textphone 08451 272940.

By taxi - A number of Brighton & Hove Hackney Carriage taxis are wheelchair accessible and can be booked through local taxi companies.


Public Toilets
All Brighton & Hove's public toilets for disabled people are locked and can only be opened with a RADAR key, part of the nationwide scheme. 

Visitors to the city can obtain a key for £6 from the Visitor Information Centre. Please contact us for more information at brighton-tourism@brighton-hove.gov.uk. 

A useful map of all the toilets in the city, which shows those which are accessible, is available here.

Wheelchair & scooter hire
Wheelchairs & scooters can be hired from the following organisations.  Please contact them direct for more information.

• Shopmobility, Car Park Level 1, Churchill Square, Brighton, Tel 01273 323239 (see link to Shopmobility above).
• Red Cross, Unit 7, St Joseph's Business Park, St Joseph's Close, Hove, Tel 01273 325118.
• Mobility Plus, 61 Boundary Road, Hove, Tel 01273 424224.
• Scootermart, 187 Church Road, Brighton, Tel 01273 775123.
• Clearwell Mobility, 110 Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, Tel 01273 692244, or click here to email your enquiry.

Useful Links
The following organisation may be able to provide you with useful information in planning your trip:

• www.bhfederation.org.uk - Brighton and Hove Federation of Disabled People
• www.disabledgo.info - Free detailed access information for disabled people across the UK
• www.dptac.gov.uk - A travel guide for disabled people
• www.radar.org.uk - National UK organisation
• www.tourismforall.org.uk - Umbrella organisation supporting accessibility.