Leeds hack space

[Alice Cross]

Hi!

I've recently moved into the area and someone suggested I come check out the hack space on one of the open days. I was just wondering what the accessibility of the space is like?

Thank you!

Alice 

[Alex Cousins]

Hi Alice, good to hear from you. 

It depends what form of accessibility you mean - we're relatively OK for wheelchair access (working on it!), but quite visually stimulating and busy at times. 

There is the social area which some people use as a (slightly) quieter space, if that's the concern. 

We have a small ramp to put in our front step for wheeled access, and one of our toilets is wheelchair accessible, albeit with no transfer armrests etc yet. We do have a couple of members who use chairs though, and we're happy to do whatever else we can to help. 

You can also park just outside for free, and it'll never be particularly far to the door. 

Hope to see you soon, 

Alex Cousins
Director | Leeds Hackspace

@FlyZanzibar
www.leedshackspace.org.uk

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[Louise Spencer]

Hi Alice, additional context from a wheelchair user.

If you have mobility issues there are a few things to keep in mind

- people will just leave stuff all over the place, but you can always ask for it to be moved if it's in your way

- there are shelves and tables that you can lean on in most areas, the only exception being the hallway at the back towards the toilets/member storage

- if you're in a wheelchair you may have trouble getting to the computers/electronics benches simply because of the amount of chairs in the way, but nobody will complain if you move them

- there is more than enough clearance to get through in most places with a standard size wheelchair, even accounting for the extra room needed for your arms. I would however recommend taking off your footrests/footplate if possible when you're going into the kitchen, as they make turning around difficult

- if you're after a table that's easy to put a wheelchair under the craft/fabric area is your best bet, as that's lower down and has a wide/deep gap underneath designed for it

- unfortunately a lot of the tools in both the workshop and the craft area are stored fairly high up, but you can always ask people to get them down for you and they will gladly do it

- all of the doors can be propped open, but unfortunately aren't automatic

- the front door requires a fair amount of force to get it open, but you don't have to pull on the doorknob like people could think at first, just use the big silver handle

- if you have mobility issues that prevent you from using certain tools (eg sewing machine pedals in a wheelchair, soldering with shaky hands) you can always bring a guest in with you to help you out. They won't be allowed to use any of the tools by themselves but as long as they're helping you it should be fine

- if you use crutches we can 3d print you a set of rests, and the chairs can be set fairly high so getting in and out of them probably won't be an issue 

- I would recommend against using the social area if you have difficulty getting up from a low seated position, but if you do there is a table and a framework there you can lean on to get up

- light (sensory) wise most of the lights in the main area are fairly bright, but during the daytime these needn't be turned on as light from the sun is enough to see. if you're here later and are light sensitive if recommend sunglasses

- the craft area panel lights are blinding, they're for seeing into projects, so don't turn those on if you're light sensitive 

- noise wise there is usually a lot going on (we have two servers running and there is very often power tools or a last cutter/extractor going), but there are plenty of ear defenders you can borrow to cut down the noise

- as far as toilets go, unfortunately we haven't had the chance to replace the accessible toilet door with a sliding one yet so realistically it's only usable if you can walk somewhat. I myself park my chair outside it and stagger in, and as Alex said we don't have grab bars yes either. The toilet seat is also quite low, which means if you have trouble standing from a low position it might not be suitable 

Hope this helps!

Louise 

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