We welcome all visitors, including carers with young children, disabled visitors and their personal assistants, support workers or companions. We are keen to address any barriers to access.
For assistance please telephone 01484 473 168 or email archives@hud.ac.uk
This information is available as a downloadable pdf.
For general information about locating Heritage Quay please see our Directions. An accessible map of the University Campus is available here
The Heritage Quay exhibition and research room are both free to use, and most of our special events are free. Where a charge is made for an event, a free ticket can be provided for a personal assistant, support worker or companion: please contact us.
Toilet facilities
There are gendered toilet facilities and an accessible toilet on the same floor as Heritage Quay. There are gender neutral toilets on floor 4 of the building.
Information for wheelchair users
Blue Badge parking is available on campus on a first-come, first-served basis. Some blue badge spaces are more than 100m away from the building, but drop-off close to the building can usually be arranged in advance. We have a manual wheelchair available for loan if required – this is available at Library Reception, ground floor (4) of the Schwann Building.
Heritage Quay is accessed by a dedicated platform lift suitable for visitors with assistance aids. We regret that the platform lift is not suitable for mobility scooters, but the main building lift can be used by mobility scooters if required. This lift can be found by turning right as soon as you enter the Schwann Building: go down to floor 3, go through the double doors (not automatic) facing you as you exit the lift, and then turn right.
An accessible toilet is available (RADAR lock – a key is available from Heritage Quay’s research room during normal working hours Mon-Fri).
There are level, smooth surfaces throughout Heritage Quay, and access routes which are wide enough for a powered wheelchair.
Information for blind or partially sighted people
Assistance dogs are welcome. There is an outdoor area suitable for toileting assistance dogs adjacent to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal which runs past the Schwann Building. The canal bank is accessed down two flights of external steps. Whilst we do not provide a water bowl, fresh drinking water for filling your own bowl is available and you are welcome to use the non-carpeted areas of Heritage Quay to provide food and water for your dog.
Large print versions of exhibition captions and information is available.
For visitors accessing the research room, screen reading software (text to speech) is available on the PCs where you can search the catalogue.
Digitised images of some items from the collections are available on the multi-touch tables and gesture wall in the exhibition space. Some audio files for musical items from the collections are also available through these.
Magnifying glasses are available to borrow.
Information for people who experience Visual Stress
We have a range of transparent coloured overlays which are available for researchers to use for free during in person bookings in our research room. Please let us know if you require the use of transparent overlays when you book an appointment or upon arrival at your appointment.
Information for deaf or hearing impaired people
Induction loops are available in the research room, and in the group space where lectures, seminars and workshops take place.
Some events have a BSL interpreter – please see individual event details for further information.
Information for carers of young children
Pushchairs can be brought in to Heritage Quay, or left immediately outside. Pushchairs are left at your own risk, and should not be parked blocking fire escape routes please! The platform lift is suitable for pushchairs and will fit a double-width pushchair.
There is a baby changing facility in the accessible toilet (RADAR lock – a key is available from Heritage Quay’s research room during normal working hours Mon-Fri). You are welcome to feed children drinks or snacks; there are no facilities for warming or preparing food.
Sometimes children need to let off steam – there are lots of outdoor areas on the campus. Please note that Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs through the campus adjacent to the Schwann Building where Heritage Quay is located: the canal is not fenced so please exercise caution if walking on the canal bank with young children.
Emergency supplies of nappies, wipes, food, clothes etc can be bought from Sainsbury’s Shorehead store. This store is within 200m of the Schwann Building but it is across a very busy road so please take care with young children. Other shops including Boots can be found in Huddersfield Town Centre.
Please let us know if there is information that it would be useful to know that is not covered in the above so that we can include it for future.