London Metropolitan Archives warmly welcomes all disabled
visitors. Our staff have received disability awareness training and
will do everything they can to ensure that your visit is both
comfortable and enjoyable.
This page is about access to LMA for disabled people. There are
many facilities at LMA which will help make your visit as
straightforward as possible. It may be advisable to visit on
quieter days when staff will have more time to help. Our busier
days are Tuesday and Thursday - when we stay open later - and
Saturdays. The busiest time of the year tends to be February to
April.
We recommend contacting LMA before you visit - all contact
details, including email, fax and telephone are given at the
end of this page.
Click here for opening times and information on how to get to LMA
using public transport
Before you arrive: parking
There are parking bays available for blue/orange badge holders
adjoining the building. Please contact LMA in advance to reserve a
bay. A member of staff will meet you at a pre-arranged time and
show you into the car park.
Entering the building
Everyone with limited mobility can enter through the main public
entrance on Northampton Road. There are 34 steps from the front
entrance to the public rooms. Each floor is named on the stairs in
large print, raised letters and Braille. There is a lift on the
left inside the front entrance which has bright yellow doors and
lift buttons in raised script . Most powered wheelchairs can fit in
the public lift, but we can easily use one of our larger lifts if
necessary.
Public cloakroom
There is a public cloakroom on the Mezzanine Floor (press ‘M’ in
the lift for the Mezzanine) with chairs and tables. There are hot
and cold drink machines, and you can have your own refreshments
here. The lockers are on several levels: security staff at the
ground floor can assist you if required. The cloakroom has a public
telephone: people who use a hearing aid should switch to the ‘T’
position when making a call.
Toilets
The public toilets are on the first floor next to the lift.
There is a toilet accessible to wheelchair users, which also has an
alarm cord.
Fire alarm
There is an audible fire alarm in all rooms and also a flashing
red alarm light above fire exits. There is a designated refuge for
wheelchair users on the first floor - it is beyond a fire door and
staff will guide you there. Please do not use the lift in an
emergency unless instructed to by the Fire Brigade. Designated
staff will supervise the evacuation of the building.
Your comfort in the public rooms
Chairs and desks are provided in all our public areas.
We are happy for users of powered wheelchairs etc. to use the
public rooms, although of course we have to work within the
physical limits of the building. Staff will move furniture to
improve access wherever possible. The public rooms are on a level
surface.
Microfilm readers
We have both manual and powered microfilm readers. Although we
do not have a booking system, if you feel you need to reserve a
powered reader for physical reasons, please contact us in advance
of your visit.
Staff will be happy to help load films and demonstrate how the
machines work.
There are several microfilm readers with A2 size screens. These
screens are at a more suitable height and position for wheelchair
users. They are all powered machines.
All of the machines - manual and powered - have a zoom lens so
that the image can be magnified.
All of the powered readers can be adapted for foot pedal
operation. The powered readers can also be fitted with a remote
control, if you find it difficult to use the controls on the
machine itself.
Personal computers and tape recorders
If you need to use a computer or mains-powered tape recorder for
your research for physical reasons, please contact us to reserve a
space near a powerpoint.
Diabetes, CAPD treatment and other
conditions
If you are a diabetic, or a kidney patient who uses Continuous
Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD), please feel free to use the
accessible toilet to maintain your treatment if necessary. There is
adequate space and of course privacy. Please ask the staff if you
require anything further.
Users with sensory impairments
Guide dogs are welcome at LMA (although not other
animals).
If you are accompanied by a companion to help with reading
documents, please let the public rooms staff know, and we will help
make you both as comfortable as possible. All of our microfilm
readers have a zoom lens to magnify print, and magnifying glasses
are also available - please ask.
We do not allow conventional reading machines to be used at LMA,
because of the damage they can cause to documents.
Our staff have received Deaf Awareness training from the Royal
Association for the Deaf. We have several regular users who are
deaf, and the staff are used to holding written conversations, or
using Typetalk on the telephone.
There are induction loops at the Information Area desk and
throughout the main meeting room. The public telephone in the
locker room may be used by people with a hearing aid. Hearing
aid users should switch to the 'T' setting to make use of all these
facilities.
Information about documents ordered from the strongrooms is
shown on display screens in the Information Area and Archive
Study rooms.
Leaflets
All our leaflets are produced in this clear type; they may be
produced in large print or on tape on request free of charge. We
can also arrange to have leaflets put into Braille on request.
Our leaflets are also available on this website .
London Metropolitan Archives
40 Northampton Road
London EC1R OHB
Tel (including Typetalk) 020 7332 3820
Fax 020 7833 9136
Email
ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk
The City of London's Access Office promotes access for all to
the City's buildings and streets.
Click here to read more (includes information on access to other
City of London buildings) .