Fu3a ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES

Ferndown U3A has read the advice of the Third Age trust in developing our Guidelines. It is noted that the duty on the committee is to ensure “as far as is possible” that venues are accessible to all members.

Accessibility for Disabled Members

Fu3a will take all reasonable steps to ensure that existing and potential members with impaired mobility, hearing or vision can participate as fully as possible in both general meetings and interest/activity groups.

The practical guidelines below are intended to facilitate this and have been produced by the committee taking account of advice notes from the Third Age Trust, experience of these matters, and comments from members and potential members.

Members who cannot manage to participate in their chosen U3A activities without help may bring a companion/carer with them, who for the time that they are in attendance, will be covered by the liability insurance provided by The Third Age Trust. (The only exception to this is a professionally employed carer who would have to be covered by an individual liability policy.)

VENUES - GENERAL MEETINGS

As far as possible Fu3a accommodation officer will try to ensure venues fulfil the following criteria:

• Adequate car parking facilities onsite or very close at hand including disabled parking bays.
• Ramp for building access.
• Ground floor accommodation where possible. If you are considering upper floor accommodation because there is a lift, you must ensure that onsite help can be provided with evacuation in the event of a fire.
• Accessible and usable disabled toilet facilities.
• Good disabled access.
• A sound system and loop.
• Spacious enough to cope with wheelchairs/mobility scooters.
• Good lighting.
• Access to heating/air conditioning controls.

In addition

• Maps and directions available to all members via our website www.ferndownu3a.co.uk
• Having a designated person at general meetings who is easily identifiable, to ensure disabled members are provided with appropriate seating e.g. at the front for those who have vision or hearing loss and at the end of a row for those with mobility problems etc.
• We will try to ensure the timing and length of meetings  are:
  • not too early, not too late and not too long without a break. 

INTEREST / ACTIVITY GROUPS

Interest groups will take all reasonable steps to make their activities accessible and available to members and potential members with impairment of mobility, hearing or sight. Clearly there will be some activities of a physical nature, such as sports or walking, where participation has to be restricted for some if not all sessions. This should be carefully explained by group leaders to potential members and any difficulties should be reported to the committee member responsible for accessibility.

Group leaders should follow the specific guidelines below. These will be issued to all current group leaders and to new group leaders on appointment.

• Where there is a hearing aid loop system the group leader should ensure that it is switched on and tell members that it is available.
• Members with impaired vision can have very particular needs please consult with the member as to how we can support.

MEMBERS

It is important the members with a disability make this known. Members are able to bring a companion or carer with them for support, who must remain for the extent of the activity. This should allow all members with a disability to continue to be able to participate and enjoy Fu3a and at the same time avoid other members getting involved in providing assistance which they are not insured to do. 

A member of the committee has responsible for maintaining contact with all disabled members to discover whether anything can reasonably be done by the committee to make life easier for them whilst they are participating in Fu3a activities.

ADOPTION AND REVIEW

	FU3A ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES
Version		Description of changes	Date
1.0		Original document	18/06/2023
2.0		Review no changes	11/09/2025