Access and safety

Access to/around our campuses

Parking permits for Blue Badge holders are available from Facilities Management. For more information on accessibility for each campus and the courses that operate there, visit AccessAble.

Avery Hill Campus

• Most of the Southwood Site is accessible to wheelchair users.
• There is accessible student accommodation and facilities (e.g. shop, launderette, café and bar).
• There is street-level access to Sparrow Farms Leisure Centre, which has a gym, squash courts and a bar.

Medway Campus

• Wheelchair access to most buildings on this site is good.
• There are lifts to upper floors and accessible toilets on most floors.
• There is a wheelchair accessible sports hall and fitness gym.

Greenwich Campus

• There are several 18th Century listed buildings. Most buildings have level access and lift facilities, but some doors are heavy, and the routes can be long for wheelchair users.
• There is a lack of clear routes for visually impaired students. Good orientation is necessary.
• Accessible toilets are available in all teaching buildings.
• There are good transport links, but no student parking except for Blue Badge holders.

Moving between campuses

We operate a university bus service between campuses, but this is not accessible to wheelchair users.

Computer Cabs (020 8313 9797), Fairway and Metro cabs have specially adapted doors and ramps to accommodate wheelchairs.

Greater London Hire Limited (GLH) will also work with funders to provide accessible transport.

If you have extra travel costs due to a disability, you can apply to your funding authority (usually Student Finance England) for assistance with these.

Access for support workers

All staff, students, affiliates, and visitors need a Greenwich Gateway card which serves as an ID card. This is especially relevant for Stockwell Street, where entry and exit are card controlled.

Regular support workers

New support workers and visitors should request a temporary account before visiting. We’ll notify you by email when your account has been created.

When you arrive on campus, please go to the local Student Centre to have your photo taken. We can then issue your Greenwich Gateway Card.

Returning visitors should log in to your account to see if it is still active. If your account has expired, you’ll need to request a renewal or reactivation. We’ll notify you by email when this is done.

When you next arrive on campus, visit the Student Centre to request a new affiliate card, returning any old cards to our staff.

Temporary support worker at Stockwell Street

Please report to the Stockwell Street Facilities Management Receptionist on arrival. When you provide your details, we'll issue a short-term Visitor Greenwich Gateway Card.

Evacuations and safety

Your safety is of paramount importance while on campus. We have special procedures for disabled students in the event of an emergency evacuation.

General evacuation procedure

The details vary according to the campus and building, but the general procedure is:

• A fire alarm will sound.
• Individuals exit in an orderly fashion using the nearest evacuation route, leaving belongings behind.
• Individuals proceed to the relevant Assembly Point for the building.

Procedures for disabled students

We consider several issues when planning for an emergency evacuation of disabled students.

• The location and numbers of disabled students in a building, including information on course activities and timetabling.
• The layout and facilities of a building (e.g., lifts, refuges, alarm systems).
• The needs of students that are not met by the general evacuation arrangements, or by existing individual provision such as guide dogs or carers.
• Actions at times when it is not possible to evacuate disabled people (e.g., access to refuges)
• Having trained staff to deal with emergency evacuations.

Personal emergency evacuation plans

Disabled students who have difficulties evacuating independently should have a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP). This identifies the safety options for a building, people who will assist, and any training or practice needed. You will be guided through these arrangements in an orientation session. Once agreed, anyone expected to support your evacuation should receive a copy.

A PEEP also addresses the steps to take for work outside normal hours or in areas where close supervision is not available.

Creating a PEEP

1. You state in our disability access questionnaire and online registration that our general arrangements might not meet your needs.
2. We invite you to meet the Student Wellbeing Service, which makes an initial assessment. If a PEEP is not recommended, we record how you will manage your own evacuation.
3. If you require a PEEP, our Safety Unit will meet you to discuss your needs. They liaise with your Programme Leader, Disability Named Contact, Facilities Management, and the Student Wellbeing Service.
4. We may carry out orientation trips with you, any helpers, and relevant members of staff in all the buildings you’ll access. If your timetabled buildings change, our faculties alert the Student Wellbeing Service, who arrange a new orientation if appropriate.
5. A copy of the final PEEP is given to you, any helpers, relevant members of teaching staff, the Student Wellbeing Service, and Facilities Management.

You must inform the Student Wellbeing Service of any changes in your condition that may require adjustments to your PEEP.

Lifts and refuge areas

While the use of lifts is banned during an emergency evacuation, dedicated evacuation / firefighting lifts may be used to evacuate disabled people. They must only be operated by a member of staff using an agreed evacuation procedure. Where safe to do so, wheelchairs, guide dogs and other equipment (crutches, etc) will also be evacuated.

Disabled staff and students who cannot use stairways without assistance should be aware of suitable refuge areas from Facilities Management or our Disability Team. These are enclosures such as a compartment lobby, corridor or stairway that protect against fire until you can be assisted to a final exit. Official refuge areas should be signposted and obstruction-free. Some also have telephones linked to Campus Security.

A disabled person's friend, assistant, or the most senior member of staff should report the location of the person awaiting evacuation to the building reception. This is so we can alert the fire brigade when they arrive. Fire wardens will also search their designated area of the building, including any refuges, and report to the Assembly Point if there is anyone in the building.

Care plans for unseen disabilities

If you have a long-term medical condition (such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, or sickle cell anaemia), please provide us with a care plan to assist First Aiders in an emergency.

You can download a template and bring it with you when you register with the service, or if the condition develops during your studies.

• 'I have asthma' care plan
• 'I have diabetes' care plan
• 'I have epilepsy' care plan
• 'I have sickle cell anaemia' care plan

This is stored in your file at the Disability and Dyslexia Centre at the Campus where you study.

Copies are also sent to:

• Your personal tutor
• The Disability Named Contact of the School
• The Exams Officer of the School
• Information and Library Services (ILS).

If you do not wear a Medic Alert bracelet, we urge you to carry a copy of the plan at all times.