Accessibility

At a glance

The basics of accessibility around Washington Wetland Centre. Scroll down for our detailed accessibility statement and visual guide.

Parking

There are 6 designated accessible car parking spaces available in our main car park. Visitors can be dropped off outside the main visitor centre, accessed by the road to the left of the footpath.

Assistance dogs

We welcome trained assistance dogs on site. Please keep them on their lead and under control at all times and ensure any dog waste is removed. If any of our birds/animals behaviour are affected by the presence of your dog, we respectfully ask that you understand that we may have to ask you to move away from the area.

Assistance dogs cannot be taken into our walk-through exhibits at Close Encounters and Ganderland.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters

We have 1 manual wheelchair and 3 mobility scooters available to hire free of charge. Please give us a call to book these in advance of your visit on 0191 4165454.

Toilets

We have several toilet facilities including an accessible toilet with low-height baby changing table and a baby change area with separate toilet. We also have an accessible toilet on our reserve in between the Asian short-clawed otter exhibit and Northumbrian Water hide.

Paths

The site is on a slope but has good access. There are tarmac paths within our inner paths. Our admissions team can advise on routes that avoid steep slopes.

Hides and reserve

There is step-free access into most of the hides on our reserve. Hawthorn Wood hide has a large viewing window designed for use by mobility aid users.

Some areas of our wider reserve require going through a tension gate. If you need any support with these or at any time during your visit, please speak to a member of our team.