Accessibility

Accessible Southampton

Southampton is an exciting place to be and this short guide below provides extra information to make your visit to Southampton an enjoyable experience and to support those with additional accessibility needs.

Getting to and around Southampton

• Shopmobility

Southampton's shopmobility service provides fantastic facilities for those with mobility challenges and have a wide range of mobility scooters and wheelchairs for all abilities. For more information on the Westquay Shopmobility service click here.

• Accessible Transport

The city centre is easily accessible by bus, train, coach and boat.

For additional support on the Bluestar buses click here and Unilink click here. If you are unable to use mainstream public transport and live in Southampton, please call Dial a Ride on 023 8022 2289 for more information and an application form, or email dialaride@sciagroup.co.uk.

South Western Railway are always hard at work upgrading their stations to be as easy as possible for all our passengers to navigate. Southampton Central is fully accessible to Wheelchair users 24 hours a day.

If you need assistance navigating the station or a ramp to get on your train, book ahead for Assisted Travel and let South Western Railway know how they can help you.

• Disabled Parking

Visitors displaying valid disabled persons’ Blue Badges can park free of charge in all Southampton City Council surface car parks, as well as in West Park Multi-Storey and on-street parking bays. Please see the city's interactive parking map for information on these car parks.

There are also designated parking areas for people with disabilities at Westquay Podium, Westquay Multi-Storey, NCP Portland Terrace and West Quay Retail Park. Please check their websites for details.

Staying in Southampton

If you’re looking for accessible accommodation in Southampton, the city has a fantastic range of hotels who provide a range of services for visitors with disabilities. To see the wide range of accommodation and their accessible provision, click here.

Shopping in Southampton

With more than 400 shops, ranging from department stores and high street favourites in our two shopping centres, to small independent boutiques and a retail park right in the city centre, Southampton’s shopping scene gives online purchasing a run for its money.

Some customers find the hustle and bustle of shopping demanding, so to enhance your experience The Marlands Shopping Centre have launched Sensory Sunday. On the last Sunday of the month, the Centre and their retailers turn music off or down low and will only use the tannoy system for emergencies. For more information, please email helpdesk@intomarlands.co.uk. To help make your visit as enjoyable as possible, The Marlands have created several helpful resources for people with autism and their parents/ carers. These are available to download here.

Several shops are currently introducing loop systems via Let’s Loop Southampton.

Attractions in Southampton

For culture fans, there are art galleries, theatres, live music and comedy. Heritage enthusiasts can discover medieval walls, maritime history and links with the Spitfire.

Southampton is keen to encourage visitors with disabilities to move around and enjoy the city independently, unhindered by accessibility issues.

The Mayflower Theatre achieved the Beautiful South Access for All Gold Award for Access in 2016, in recognition of their effort to provide accessibility for all, within the confines of a 1928 building. They also offer an exceptional Access Membership Scheme for visitors that need to bring a companion. If you have a special seating or access requirement, please speak to a member of the Box Office team.

The Cultural Quarter is home to an array of attractions, with the John Hansard Gallery, City Art Gallery and SeaCity Museum being wheelchair accessible and large print texts are available upon request from both John Hansard Gallery and Sea City Museum.

Accessible trail -from Parks to Port 

Free, and available in a digital and printed map format, the From Parks to Port route by See Southampton offers a sensory self-guided trail in and around the city with a focus on textures, smells and sounds. 

Using dyslexic-friendly text, ideal for mobility-scooter and wheelchair users and accessible to as many audiences as possible, the map highlights the historic and natural richness of Southampton. Practical points of interest including ramps, accessible toilets, lifts and venues with audio guides and description/audio tours also feature on the map. Plus, for the online version, each location can be accessed and heard by the visually impaired via optical character recognition (OCR) software.

You can download the free digital version of the map here.  For more information go here.