Facilities and help onsite
What specific facilities are provided for visually impaired people?
Guide dogs are welcome throughout the festival site and venues (other dogs are not permitted onsite). Greenbelt actively discourages people to bring pets to the festival as it’s just not a good environment for them. Permission to bring ‘companion’ dogs into the village area can be sought in advance in exceptional circumstances; applications should give reasons and supporting evidence.
In addition, Greenbelt works hard to provide Daily Diary information in advance in an appropriate electronic format to visually impaired people. To do this we have set up an email list of those needing these services, notifying all those on a list when information is available and giving them instructions of how and where to download it from. If you’d like to use this, email us at access@greenbelt.org.uk and we’ll make sure you’re included on the list.
Sorry, we are unable to offer touch tours of the performing arts pieces at the Festival because of the pressure on time we have on get-ins for such productions. Nor do we offer audio-described performances.
Read more about our provision for the visually impaired.
What specific facilities are provided for deaf and hard-of-hearing people?
Read more about our provision for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Do you have any advice for people with learning disabilities who will be at the festival?
People with learning disabilities can ask for a free carer ticket if they need someone with them to help them. We have a camping area for people with disabilities, including people with a learning disability, which is near to the festival village.
Find out more about our accessible camping areas.
There is a quieter room for people with disabilities to relax in, with people in there who know about learning disabilities.
Some worship and talks will ask people to work together in a group. Some of the worship may ask you to “share the peace” (shake hands with other people and say something like “peace be with you” to them), or to help each other to take a little bit of bread and wine for communion. If you would not like to do these things, you do not have to.
If you need help to understand what to do, you can ask at the Information Booth, or ask one of the people in charge of the talk or worship before it starts, or a steward wearing a high-visibility jacket. We will do our best to help you if we can.
Flash photography and sudden loud music can happen anywhere on the festival site. Sound from the events can often be heard in the background all over the site. We can help you find the quietest areas, but you may wish to bring your own ear plugs or ear defenders with you if you find that background sound is a particular problem.
There is a quieter room for people with disabilities to relax in.
Where can I charge my motorised wheelchair?
The charging room this year will be based in Child’s Play near Centaur. There will be a charging facility that is manned all day. The opening hours are as follows: Fri 6.30pm – 11.30pm Sat: 9am-11.30pm Sun: 8.30 – 10am then 12noon – 11:30pm and Mon 9am – 11.30pm
Can Greenbelt hire me a scooter?
Event Mobility Charitable Trust will be providing electric scooters and manual wheelchairs for the use of disabled, elderly and mobility impaired visitors to the festival.
To reserve an electric scooter or manual wheelchair in advance of the festival, either print out an advance booking form from the Event Mobility website or contact the Event Mobility office on 01386 725391 to request a form to be posted to you. Please be aware that advance bookings cannot be made by phone. A deposit is required for each day a chair is hired.
Is there somewhere I can sit down and rest onsite?
Yes, we do operate a rest room for people with disabilities. For details of when and where it can be accessed, ask at the Information Booth onsite.
What facilities are available in venues?
A raised viewing area is available at the Mainstage and the Big Top. There is also an area allocated upstairs in Centaur.
In other venues, get there early and then liaise with Stewards and/or Venue Managers in regard to finding a suitable spot. Often* they can help by letting you in to a venue ahead of a queue, arranging an easily accessible place for you or, where possible, exempting you from the instruction to clear a venue between programme items. Stewards and Venue Managers are often able to assist with other specific requests so please feel free to ask!
*We can’t guarantee that they can every time!
What if I can’t stand for long periods?
A lot of things will require you to queue to get into at the Festival, so please bring a chair with you if you have difficulty standing for long periods of time.
Do you have an oxygen supply onsite?
Unfortunately, at the moment we do not have an oxygen supply onsite.
Can I get more information on site?
Yes. The Information Booth is generally the fount of all knowledge and will also have copies of a Greenbelt Accessibility Guide, which will include general info, a map of the site showing key features/facilities, routes to venues etc. Stewards will also often know the answer to specific queries (or be able to get in touch with someone who does!).
What if I have a problem on site?
Please don’t wait until after the festival to tell us about a problem – if at all possible we’d like to be able to solve it for you this festival rather than next! Some problems may be instantly resolvable by a Steward or Venue Manager, alternatively you can ask either a Steward with a radio or the Information Booth to contact the Accessibility Team Leader or the Duty Operations Manager.
Accessibility Awareness is being introduced into the Steward and Venue Managers briefings, but even so they may not always know what your particular needs are; so please let them know, they’ll be happy to help.
Page last updated 27 Apr 2013
