Parking There is a club car park with 75 accessible parking spaces for home and away supporter’s available, 200 metres away please book by phone or email. Drop of facilities are available.
Accessible Services Both home and away fans can use accessible toilets inside the stadium. The club shop is accessible for all fans and does have a low level serving counter. Catering kiosks in the home and away sections do have low level serving counters and so are fully accessible. The club does have a hearing loop. Match commentaries are not available. Facilities for assistance dogs are not available. The concourses do have rest areas included.
Accessible Facilities Home supporters have 62 spaces for wheelchair users available to them, and these can be found on a raised platform. 19 spaces for wheelchair users can be found on a raised platform in the away section for away supporters.
The Ricoh Arena Phoenix Way Foleshill Coventry CV6 6GE
Date: 10/12/2011 00:00:00 By: Colin Disabled parking
I contacted the club well in advance to reserve a parking space. They told me that although they have 100 spaces, these had all been taken by season ticket holders. My only option was to pay on the day. I explained that I was in a wheelchair and needed to open my door wide and asked if I could reserve a space on the end of a row. They said I couldn't do this and would have to take whatever spot I was allocated on the day. They also charge £10 with no reductions for disabled.
Date: 14/03/2011 00:00:00 By: Peter Farndon Coventry City v Hull City
The club's car parking arrangements are not satisfactory. Firstly having successfully gained a pre-ordered designated disabled car park for the Swansea game a couple of weeks ago, was told this time that 'disabled parking bay tickets are only given to season ticket holders', and consequently wasn't issued with a disabled pass. Instead however I was given a parking ticket for the away fans car park, the other end of the ground. On the day my carer had to speak to several members of the club's car parking attendants, most of whom were unhelpful and couldn't provide any solution to the problem. The problem primarily being that durig the course of the match my carer would need to return to the car for both medical, as well as other practical items and I cannot be left without a carer for this length of time. Ultimately, following several discussions with car park staff, we were able to park in the nearest car park to the stand in which our seats were, though not in a disabled space, which we were abvised were pre-booked. However when my carer returned to the car at half time could see that there were in fact 2 empty disabled spaces, which we'd been told we couldn't park in due to the fact that they would be filled. As it goes my carer simply re-parked the car in a vacant disabled spot at half time, the 2nd of which was still empty as we came out at full time.
Date: 03/03/2011 16:21:00 By: ryan westwood coventry VS Sheffield wednesday
on entering the carpark at the ground we were directed to the ticket office to purchase the pass for the car park we were charged �10 to park and we were told that they no longer give consessions to disabled customers
Date: 03/03/2011 16:19:00 By: Alan Lovell Coventry v Reading
Despite the club's claim that there are over 100 spaces for wheel chair supporters, it's almost impossible to get tickets on a casual basis. I tried to get tickets 3 weeks before this match and there were none available. I have had the same response on several other occasions. I was told that almost all the available spaces were taken up by disabled ticket holders and there was only 1 space available on a casual basis. Ticket staff are helpful and will try to give you tickets close to a disabled space so it's possible to use the disabled entry ramp to seating.
Part of the problem seems to be created by the way away fans are segregated so that some disabled spaces can't be used. In a stadium that is usually less than half full it seems a pity that more effort isn't put into catering for disabled fans who aren't season ticket holders.
Date: 03/03/2011 00:00:00 By: Gary Deards Coventry v Reading - 4/4/09
We parked a mini-bus in the away supporters coach park (C) which is about a 5 minute walk from the ground under a subway. There are very few dropped kerbs so wheelchair users can take longer. Disabled car parking can be arranged nearer the ground and the police agreed to move us as it would have meant the driver leaving at half time.
The club has 2 positions for away wheelchair users; 1 on the touchline but raised (see picture opposite) and another mid-level. The lower level doesn't leave much room for manoeuving and could be a problem if there are many wheelchairs wanting to get in and out. The fact that a new stadium needed this temporary structure shows how poor design still takes place.
We were not allowed to use the better mid-level platform (accessed via lift) as Reading didn't take up the full away allocation - this isn't right as I would have preffered a more elevated view even if it meant sitting on your own.
The catering facilities were not accessible as at the back of the stand. I didn't try the accessible WC. Staff were, however, very helpful.
Home fans had elevated mid-level platforms which appeared good.
A couple of colleagues with Ambulant disabilities were handed tickets at the back of the stand despite saying they had an ambulant disability. Luckily, the ground wasn't full and they were moved but why can't all clubs allocate specific ambulant seating?
View of restricted width platform
View from lower level wheelchair platform - away fans
Mid-tier away wheelchair viewing platform
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