Disability Access Dorking Halls and Mole Valley District Council are firmly committed to enabling all our patrons to participate in our events equally with dignity and respect.
Dorking Halls would like everyone to enjoy all the services and facilities on offer and in order to further this commitment have adopted the Disability policy that is set out in this document. For the purposes of this policy, a person with “disability” is understood, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), as anyone who has a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Key Aims
The key aims of the policy are to ensure that:
1. All our customers are able to access and enjoy all our services and facilities including conferencing, live entertainment and the cinema.
2. Disabled customers are not treated less favourably, for a reason relating to their disability, than others to whom that reason does not apply.
3. All reasonable steps are taken to prevent any of the physical features of the Theatre from making it unreasonably difficult for disabled customers to make use of our services.
4. All reasonable steps are taken to provide auxiliary aids and services to enable disabled customers in making use of our services and facilities
5. Disabled patrons therefore feel as valued and experience the same high levels of satisfaction with our services as our other patrons.
In the next part of our document we will set out how we expect to achieve our aims
Grand Hall – Screen 3
Upto 14 wheelchair spaces with seats for an Essential Companion.
Wheelchair accessible toilet facility on the Ground Floor.
Infrared assistive hearing system, headphones and neck loops available from the Duty Manager.
Car Parking spaces in the Reigate Road Car Park to the rear of Dorking Halls (Please note that a parking ticket will be required unless the disabled customer is road tax exempt) .
Guide and Assistance Dogs are welcome.
Martineau Hall – Screen 1
Front row, close to screen, has flat floor access and space for upto 8 wheelchairs and seats for Essential Companions.
Back row has a designated wheelchair space accessible via a lift to the mezzanine and seats for Essential Companions.
Wheelchair accessible toilet facility on the Ground Floor and Mezzanine.
Infrared assistive hearing systems, headphones and neck loops available from the Duty Manager.
Car Parking spaces in the Reigate Road Car Park to the rear of Dorking Halls (Please note that a parking ticket will be required unless the disabled customer is road tax exempt).
Guide and Assistance Dogs are welcome.
Masonic Hall – Screen 2
Front row has flat floor access and space for 4 wheelchairs and seats for Essential Companions.
Wheelchair accessible toilet facility on the Ground Floor.
Infrared assistive hearing systems, headphones and neck loops available from the Duty Manager.
Car Parking spaces in the Reigate Road Car Park to the rear of Dorking Halls (Please note that a parking ticket will be required unless the disabled customer is road tax exempt).
Guide and Assistance Dogs are welcome .
Mezzanine Bar
Customer lift to the 1st Floor.
Wheelchair accessible toilet facility on the Ground Floor and Mezzanine.
Car Parking spaces in the Reigate Road Car Park to the rear of Dorking Halls (Please note that a parking ticket will be required unless the disabled customer is road tax exempt).
Guide and Assistance Dogs are welcome.
Staff
The Duty Manager has overall responsibility for looking after our disabled customers interests and should be your first point of contact if you have any queries regarding this policy.
In addition, all our members of staff are regularly provided with basic training in disability awareness and etiquette, are aware of this policy and are able to assist customers with queries regarding disabled access to Dorking Halls.
Please note that, due to Health & Safety reasons, our staff are unable to assist disabled customers in and out of their transport or mobility equipment.
Those who need additional assistance
Dorking Halls operates a Scheme for those who need somebody to be present, in order to assist them to readily access the theatre and its services. Our Essential Companion Scheme allows members a free ticket so that they can bring along a companion with them at no additional cost.
Joining the scheme is free and simple but necessary to combat fraud. There are two types of membership, Individual and Organisation, both require completion of an application, giving contact details and any information the disabled person would like recorded to assist with their visits.
The applicant or appointed representative will be required to sign a declaration that the person concerned is restricted in their ability to access the services provided in Dorking Halls without assistance. The essential companion must be able to help the disabled person access the theatre and its facilities, remaining with them to ensure their wellbeing and comfort. All tickets are subject to availability at the time of booking. Dorking Halls reserves the right to review the availability of tickets within the scheme, to review a member’s eligibility and to revoke that membership, if necessary, following review.
The application forms are available by post or by hand from the Box Office or follow the link below to fill out our e-forms.
Essential Companion Scheme
Dorking Halls and Mole Valley District Council are firmly committed to enabling all our patrons to participate in our events equally with dignity and respect.
Dorking Halls would like everyone to enjoy all the services and facilities on offer and in order to further this commitment, have adopted the Essential Companion scheme. For the purposes of this policy, a person with “disability” is understood, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), as anyone who has a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Dorking Halls operates the Essential Companion Scheme for those who need somebody to be present, in order to assist them to readily access the theatre and its services, by the means of mobility or guidance. This is open to both individual and organisations and the correct form should be completed in each case.
The Essential Companion should familiarise themselves with the layout of Dorking Halls and the location of services. They should liaise with staff if the person with a disability requires assistance, and take instructions should there be a need to evacuate the building. The Essential Companion is required to attend to the needs of the person with a disability at all times whilst on the premises.
Our Essential Companion scheme allows members a free ticket so that they can bring along a companion with them at no additional cost. To join, the person with the disability, or their appointed representative, must complete and sign the application form, and return it to Dorking Halls. The contact details on the form should be those of the person with a disability, not of the Essential Companion.
The scheme is not open to, or intended, for those who simply require a companion/ friend to assist them with transportation to and from the venue. The scheme is not offered to anyone who can cope independently in a public venue.
The information that you provide us with will help to ensure that we provide the best service for you. There is a space on the form to tell us about your particular needs. For example is your mobility equipment of an unusual size or shape? Is it motorised? Do you require an oxygen mask and cylinder? This information enables us to allocate the correct amount of space for you. It is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 and it will only be used for the purpose set out in this document.
Dorking Halls cannot provide unlimited access for its shows and events and therefore the allocation of places will be determined by the ‘capacity’ for each event and provided on a first come first served basis.
If you have any difficulties in completing this form then please contact a member of our Box Office team on 01306 881717, who will be pleased to assist.
Further assistance for those with impaired hearing
Hearing-aid systems
Dorking Halls has two systems to help those with impaired hearing:
The Grand Hall, Martineau Hall and Masonic Hall are equipped with an Infrared assistive hearing systems. Both infrared headphone receivers and necklace style induction loop transceivers (which work in tandem with an existing hearing aid set to “T” if appropriate, digital aids are automatically linked into the Infrared system) are available and can be pre-ordered when the initial booking is made and then collected from the Box Office before the performance commences.
The Box Office is equipped with an induction loop system which can be used by those with hearing aids. In order to use the system, a patron should set their hearing aid to the ‘T’ position.
These systems are regularly checked to ensure that they are operating correctly. However, in the unlikely event that you experience any difficulty, please report the matter to a member of staff.
Further assistance for those whose sight is impaired
We welcome guide and assistance dogs. Please advise the Box Office at the time of booking, so that suitable arrangements can be made.
Your comments
We regularly review this policy to ensure that all our disabled customers feel welcome at Dorking Halls.
We greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have about how we could improve your access to, and enjoyment of the Theatre and its facilities. Please send suggestions to dorkinghalls@molevalley.gov.uk
