Accessibility

Planning Your Visit

For specific information on how to get to us, please visit our Getting Here page.

Disabled parking is available in the Blizard Yard and must be booked in advance. If you require a disabled parking space or drop-off point, please contact us on 0207 882 2562, or email us at info@centreofthecell.org.

We are part of the Sunflower Lanyard scheme. Not all disabilities are visible, and our staff are trained to recognise the pins, badges, cards and lanyards of the scheme. This allows us to discreetly identify that somebody may require additional support.

Centre of the Cell does not have a lunch space or indoor area where visitors can eat. There is a separate café within the Blizard Institute to purchase food. No food or drink is allowed inside STEM Pod, but snacks and drinks are permitted in our waiting area and in the Neuron Pod.

If you would like to visit us in advance of your booking, please contact us by phone or email to arrange a ‘pre-visit’. On these pre-visits, we will be able to show you our spaces and resources and answer any questions face to face.

During Your Visit

We are located on the first floor of the Blizard Institute, with step-free access available throughout. There is a lift that connects our ground and first floors, and the accompanying staircase also has a handrail.

There is a disabled toilet on both the ground and first floors. The nearest Changing Places toilet is located at the Tower of London.

Our waiting area is seated. There is also seating in both our STEM Pod and Neuron Pod. These seats do not have armrests, and the seats in STEM Pod do not have backrests.

After Your Visit

Was there anything that we could have done to improve your visit? If so, please let us know at info@centreofthecell.org.

Shows and Workshops

General show guidance: 

• Audience participation (demos, questions, shouting out) – this can be changed with pre-warning, so if you don’t want this, tell us and we will be happy to adapt this 
• Neuron Pod is dark when lights are off during shows 
• Neuron Pod lighting can be quite bright when all the lights are on during entrance and exit 
• There is some coloured lighting 

• Most shows contain music 
• It can get loud in Neuron Pod when lots of people are talking at the same time 

General workshop guidance: 

• High audience participation (demos, questions, shouting out) 

• Main lights stay on throughout the workshop so it may be too bright for some individuals (but the lighting can be changed on request) 
• Some activities are tactile (touching and using objects) 
• There may be moving around to get from table to table 
• Most workshops have a buzzer to signify movement to the next table (this is not too loud) 
• Most workshops contain reading comprehension activities 

Mummy for Melissa: 

• Use of strawberries, surgical spirit (smells and allergies) 
• Brightly coloured puppets 
• Bubble machine 

Sick, Snot and Scabs: 

• The (fake) sick can smell 
• Texture of the snot may be a trigger for some kids (gloves are provided to the volunteer) 

Gut Feeling: 

• Making (fake) poo 
• Use of banana, bread, coffee, oats and coloured water (some smells but not strong unless you are the volunteer for this section) 

• High volunteer numbers 

In a Heartbeat: 

• High audience participation numbers 
• Costumes may be used for some demos (e.g. hats, aprons) 
• Some realistic animations and images in the presentation used to depict anatomical features 

Ingenious Genes: 

• Taste test (PTC strips – bitter flavour if you have the PTC gene) 
• Costumes may be used for some demos (e.g. lanyards, wigs) 

Genes and Evolutions Show: 

• Costumes may be used for some demos (e.g. headbands, backpacks, jackets, eye mask, cloak) 

The Neuron Show: 

• Bop-it machine (very sensory – but is quiet) 
• Whole audience demos/participation – making shapes on people’s backs, memory test (you do not have to participate in these demos if you prefer not to) 

Microbe Detectives: 

• No movement between tables required in this workshop 
• No volunteering, but all activities are interactive. 

• Audience participation (e.g. answering questions) 

Boggling Brain: 

• Whole audience relay involves standing in a line – this can be done seated or you can choose not to participate  
• Whole audience demo of balancing on one leg with and without eyes closed – you do not have to participate if you would prefer not to 
• Can get loud when all students are participating 

• Audio illusions demo (voice clips and one ‘whoosh’ noise, not loud but can sound strange) 

Invasion, Infection, and Immunity: 

• Reading and comprehension tasks 
• Buzzers (not overly loud) 
• Can get loud in the room when all students are participating 

• Blindfold used in one activity – texture (not compulsory) 
• Putting hands in a box of small balls for one activity – this box does make noise when it is shaken 
• Talking to scientist 

Careers in Science and Health: 

• Movement between tables 

• Talking to scientist, medical or dental student 
• Reading and comprehension tasks 

If any of these warnings are of concern, or you want to find out more information about a specific show or workshop please get in contact by emailing info@centreofthecell.org, we will be happy to help.