Friargate stairs and lifts
Stairs
You can reach the first floor via the stairs on the right of the reception desk. This involves four sets of stairs with handrails on both sides (approx. 1 metre/40 inches across).
The first set has 10 steps and the final three have 11 steps each. In between each set is a round corner, with approximately 1 metre/40 inches of space.
Alternatively, you can go past the reception desk and enter the door straight ahead of you, where all floors can be reached via the stairwell.
Within the stairwell, there are four sets of stairs between the ground floor and the first floor. This involves one set of seven steps and then three sets of 12 steps.
Reaching all other floors involves two sets of 12 steps between each floor. There are handrails on both sides, and approximately 1 metre/40 inches of space between. Corners have approximately 1.5 metres/58 inches of space.
Each landing contains a refuge call button and an evacuation chair.
Lifts
Beyond the reception desk, you will find keypads, which contain numbers 1 to 9 and 0 in a telephone layout. Select the floor number you need. The screen at the top will display which lift you should use (lettered from A to F).
There is also an option to have the lift number read out to you. Underneath each keypad there is a rectangular button containing an ‘accessible’ symbol and braille. Press this, and the voice will instruct you to ‘Please enter destination floor.’ Select your floor, and a voice will read out which lift you should use and its location, for example ‘Floor 10. Proceed to lift A on the left.’
Turning right will bring you to six lifts in the lift lobby, lettered from A to F.
This includes one lift that can be used in an emergency evacuation.
Each lift entrance is approximately 1.1 metres/44 inches across. You don’t need to press anything else once inside the lift. A voice will inform you ‘doors closing’, and the lift will begin moving.
The voice will inform you again once you have reached your floor, for example, ‘10th floor. Doors opening.’ Note: the lifts move relatively fast.