We know BBS is sometimes too London centric but we are unapologetic in highlighting some wonderful, accessible things to do in London this summer:
Cocktails With a View
Less able people often consider multi-storey buildings to be the enemy but once a building reaches a certain height, as is the case here, there’s no way anyone could make it up the stairs so you’re guaranteed that there will be a lift. City Social in the centre of all things financial, gives you two experiences for the price of one in Tower 42: with art deco-style surroundings, the spectacular 24th floor views of London come with extraordinary cocktails. If you’re feeling really flush then you can go for the full Kinder Egg experience (otherwise known as the three in one), and eat at the restaurant that serves outstanding British fare from Jason Atherton.
Alternatively, if you fancy a breath of fresh…ish…London air visit the rooftop bar at The Boundary Hotel, Shoreditch for classic cocktails in garden-like surroundings. Rugs are provided and there is cover from the unpredictable British summer…
See Where the War Was Won
A museum named after the former Prime Minister rather than one sponsored by that insurance peddling bulldog, The Churchill War Rooms let you into the bunker from where World War Two was coordinated. Considering its size and original use, it’s surprising that this is one of the more accessible London attractions. We get sick and tired of hearing venues say that buildings are too old or difficulty designed to be adapted and this helps highlight why it’s such a feeble excuse. If you can adapt this, you can adapt anything.
Above the Trees at Kew Gardens
“Treetop walkway” and “wheelchair accessible” are two things you don’t expect to be found in the same sentence (again, altitude is a traditional nemesis for wheelchair users) but this eighteen metre high attraction is completely step-free for those who can’t manage the stairs. There’s a lift up to the walkway for less able visitors and once you’re up, the walkway is flat and lets you see Kew Gardens in a whole new dimension.
The Wallace Collection
One of the capital’s most underrated and most accessible museums, The Wallace Collection is full of hidden gems and is, to a certain degree, one in itself. ‘The Laughing Cavalier’ by Franz Hals is something of standout even in a collection featuring Rembrandts, Titians and Gainsboroughs but the building is grand enough in its own right to make it worth a visit. One of the best collections of the arts in the world and it’s all accessible and free.
Climb the Dome
It might come as a surprise that the chance to climb up the side of any building would be accessible to all but that is precisely the case at “The Building Formerly Known As The Millennium Dome”. We’ve even been told by the guys who designed it that, while making sure that Up At The O2 is accessible, they wanted to make it as much of a thrilling experience as it is for able bodied participants. It opens during Spring and Summer but you need to get on the waiting list now for a realistic chance of making a booking.
