Alexandra Park and Palace: Transforming a 150-year-old venue to be accessible to all

Alexandra Park and Palace: Transforming a 150-year-old venue to be accessible to all

About Alexandra Park and Palace

Alexandra Palace was opened in 1873 as the ‘Palace of the People’, to provide entertainment and recreation for the masses. Today the Park and Palace are run by a charity – the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust – which continues this mission by caring for and restoring the listed Palace and 196 acres of awarding-winning parkland, as well as delivering a year-round programme of cultural, leisure and learning. 

The challenge

Alexandra Park and Palace had challenges with accessibility that resulted in difficulties for deaf or disabled customers to enjoy their events.

The project

Alexandra Palace undertook a 5-year comprehensive project to transform their 150-year-old grade 2-listed premises into an industry-leading venue and a hub for accessibility.  

Their approach captured the visitor experience from start to finish, from the customer’s initial engagement via email, the website or social media, all the way to their leaving the venue. The new inclusivity provisions therefore considered many different areas, such as the physical environment, policies, procedures, marketing and online activities.  

The changes implemented include wheelchair accessibility improvements, a hidden disability scheme, BSL and captioning, relaxed performances, publication of easy read materials and the launch of an accessibility membership, among many more initiatives.  

‘The list of provisions they put in place is truly impressive and sets a gold standard for other venues striving to become more inclusive of visitors with a wide range of disabilities.’ – Disability Smart Awards judges. 

Feedback from disabled customers, the local community and disability charities was foundational to the project. Alexandra Park and Palace partnered with local charity Disability Action Haringey and national charity Attitude Is Everything (AIE) to run focus groups, discussions, consultations and training sessions. They also set up a rigorous feedback and action process, with dedicated accessibility touchpoints and a dedicated accessibility officer ensuring feedback became part of general operations.  

The result

In 2024 Alexandra Park and Palace welcomed over 2000 customers with disabilities onto their accessible platforms at concerts alone.  

People with less-visible disabilities, hearing loss or sight loss, as well as visitors who require step-free access or Changing Places facilities can now attend events at the Park and Palace with confidence.  

The Park and Palace’s programme now includes dedicated events and workshops for the disabled community. 

The Research Institute of Disabled Consumers recognised Alexandra Park and Palace within a major industry survey as a leading venue in accessibility.

Going forward

Alexandra Park and Palace worked with AIE to help develop their new industry-leading charter of best practice online platform, and will be working towards achieving their Gold status accreditation in the near future. 

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