Colchester Zoo Access Review
We really enjoyed our day out at Colchester Zoo but want to give you the run down of what it’s like when it comes to accessibility for me as a powered wheelchair user! We loved seeing the sealions both above and below the water. There were also several great spots to see the penguins and it was great to see so many otters up close.
The main difficulty with Colchester zoo is that it is very hilly. Although my power chair could manage it, I really struggled when I went in my manual chair a few years ago. There is an easier route to avoid some of the steeper hills but this was not particularly clear so would love to see some better signage as it would help wheelchair users, the elderly and those with buggies and toddlers. They have a limited number of manual wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available to hire, however you need to give minimum 24 hours notice and are at an extra cost. Manual wheelchairs are £5 plus a £20 returnable deposit whilst mobility scooter hire is £25 plus a £30 returnable deposit.
We got to say hi to the pygmy goats but some of the interactive enclosures had cattle grates to stop the animals from escaping which then can make it tricky for some mobility devices and some of these are part way through the enclosures and it’s not easy to turn if your mobility device can’t handle it.
As a wheelchair user the majority of the time I had a great view of the animals but occasionally there was a tall fence, bush or step which meant I was unable to see. This is a real shame because lots of this could be changed with cutting back bushes and adding small ramps.
There are changing facilities on site but the disabled toilets I used were pretty small and I got myself locked in, I really struggled to get out due to the inaccessible lock. I was also really surprised but grateful that they had some many gluten free and vegan options available within the food outlets.
Overall we had a great day but there are definitely improvements to be made.
