Accessibility
Introduction
At the Manchester Academy, we are committed to ensuring that all customers have an enjoyable time at our shows as well as making our venue physically accessible and welcoming. Inclusivity is at the heart of what we do, which is why we have been awarded Silver Standard by www.attitudeiseverything.org.uk
Contact
Email: info.su@manchester.ac.uk
Phone: 0161 275 2930
Our staff are trained to use Relay UK for our customers who are deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired if you wish to contact us this way.
Address: Access, Manchester Academy, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR
Download Link
Click here to download a Microsoft Word copy of the information from this page - Manchester Academy Venue Information
Venue Description
The Manchester Academy is lucky to host 4 separate venues, each with a variety of capacities and each providing a stage for some of the world’s best performers!
The main academy is a stand-alone building on Oxford Road, located next to the Students’ Union building. The box office is located on the left side of the main doors. It is open approximately 1-2 hours before the doors open and is staffed by people who can answer any queries for you. Next to the box office, is the access entrance which enables you access into the venue whilst avoiding the queue. The entrance to the venue is step-free, with the access area being accessible via lift and stairs.
Academy 2 (first floor), Academy 3 (second floor) and Club Academy (lower ground floor) are all located inside the Students’ Union building.
The box office is located on the ground floor of the Students’ Union and you can go straight to the box office on arrival via the ramp or stairs at the front of the building. The friendly security staff on the door will assist in guiding you to the box office where the venue staff will be able to assist you further. Please be aware that the Student’s Union ramp access has a steep gradient, if you require a ramp that is DDA compliant then you can access the building via the bar entrance at the back of the building. Security will show you where it is.
All our venues, box office and toilets have step-free access, with the Students’ Union having ramp and stair access as well as a lift.
Facilities include disabled toilets, lifts, ramp, handrails, bars with lowered sections and nearby blue badge parking.
Download Access Requirements Form
Bookable Access Facilities and How to Apply
Tickets for companions/personal assistants at no extra cost
*We do not have separate tickets for access customers, please purchase a General Admission ticket before applying for access*
At the Manchester Academy, we aim to provide the best experience for our access customers. For this, we require a few details to ensure that we can provide for your requirements. Please fill in the form, which can be downloaded here. We require this information to be able to set up the access area to suit your requirements. In addition to the Access Requirements Form, we require a copy of one of the following supporting documents to process your access request. This is to fairly prioritise customers attending with disabilities.
- Front page of a DLA/PIP letter
- Attendance Allowance letter
- War Disablement Pension
- Evidence that registered visually impaired
- Assistance Dog ID card
- Access Card
If you do not have any of the above documentation, don’t worry! Each request is assessed on a case by-case basis and we are happy to discuss other forms of documentation and options with you. Please contact the venue on either info.su@manchester.ac.uk or 0161 275 2930 to discuss.
Customers are offered 1 x companion/personal assistant ticket at no extra cost for those who would otherwise be unable to attend the venue without assistance. You can apply for this by downloading and completing the Access Requirements Form. Please note that only 1 other person is allowed into the access area with you, if you require more than one personal assistant then please get in touch.
Once you have completed the form, email it back to us along with the relevant documentation and we will respond within 1-3 working days. You will receive an email confirmation once you have been added to the access list.
You can opt for your details to be saved in our Address Book, meaning that you will only need to fill out the form once and attend gigs in the future without having to complete the form each time. In this case, when you have purchased tickets for a show you can email or phone the venue to ask for your name to be added to the access list.
Access Areas
Main Academy: The access area is a balcony at the rear of the venue with a clear glass barrier, with lift and stair access. If you require seating, this will be provided as a chair with a back.
Academy 2, Academy 3 and Club Academy: We have no specific viewing platforms/access areas. Depending on the space available, an area will be set out on the night at the front of the venue and explained to you on arrival. If you require seating, this will be provided primarily as a high stool or a chair with a back if otherwise requested.
We allow 1 guest to accompany you into the access area. If you are attending with more than 1 accompanying guest, their admission to the access area is subject to confirmation on the night of the event unless confirmed when applying for access.
Early Entry
Due to health and safety requirements, we cannot offer early entry into any of our venues. If this is one of your needs, please arrive 10 to 15 minutes before doors open and make yourself known to the box office and security staff. They will then be able to ensure you are one of the first to enter the venue and that you are assisted where possible.
Accessible Parking / Blue Badge Parking
We do not have our own carpark due to being located on Oxford Road which is reserved for buses and taxis only. However, there is an accessible carpark on Dilworth Street.
There are 8 disabled bays, and from 18:00-23:59 the cost is £4.50. Click here for more information.
Travel Guide
Our venue is very easy to get to via public transport with a train station close by and bus stops and a taxi rank right outside the venue.
Bus
Manchester Academy is serviced by the following buses: 15, 18, 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 111, 142, 143, 191, 197, 217, 797, 53 Orbits, V1 Vantage, V2 Vantage and V4 Vantage.
Train
Oxford Road train station is located approximately 1 mile away from the venue. From here, it’s a 20 minute walk or a short bus or taxi ride.
Carparks and Drop-offs
As we are located on Oxford Road which is open to buses and taxis only, we don’t have our own car park but there are several carparks nearby which we recommend. You can find more information here.
The nearest Blue Badge parking is at the Dilworth Street Carpark. There are 8 disabled bays here. It is approximately 5 minutes (0.2 miles) from the Academy. This is a good location for drop offs also.
Arrival Guide
Venue Opening Time
The box office will open approximately 2 hours before the doors open.
Arriving at the venue
Upon arrival to the venue, please come to the box office on the left side of the building where staff members will be able to find your details and explain the venue, access area and facilities to you. This is when you would pick up your personal assistant ticket too. You will need to bring along a form of ID to confirm your details. If you have any questions, the box office staff will be happy to help as well as security staff.
For Academy 2 and 3 and Club Academy, you can come to the box office inside the Students’ Union building to receive your tickets and venue information rather than joining the queue outside the doors. The box office staff will then explain where the entrance to the venue is which is a separate entrance meaning it is queue-free and quiet.
Toilets
Main Academy: there is one large accessible toilet located on the ground floor and one on the balcony level. From the balcony access area, you need to turn left and go past the bar and it will be on your right. On the ground floor, it is located on to the right of the bar.
Academy 2, Academy 3 and Club Academy: there is one large accessible toilet on each floor inside the Students’ Union building. As the access area can differ due to how many access customers are attending the show, the venue staff will show you to the nearest toilet upon arrival to the venue. Security staff will also be happy to direct you.
Customers with Medical Requirements
Manchester Academy welcomes customers who need to bring medicines, food or drink to manage a medical condition, or medical equipment. We just ask that you make us aware of your needs when applying for access.
Please do not hesitate to contact the venue if you have any concerns regarding bringing necessary medical supplies.
In the case of an emergency, please approach a member of security who will be wearing yellow jackets, box office staff or anyone wearing a venue lanyard.
Access to Performance
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer any Audio Enhancement at this time except from a Hearing Loop at the box office.
Assistance Dogs
We welcome assistance dogs and can provide water on request. No dogs except assistance dogs.
Strobe Lighting
Strobe lighting, smoke machines and other theatrical effects may be used during shows in our venues. There will be plenty of signs showing all effects that will be used during a show within the venue on the night. Please contact the venue prior to arriving at the venue as close to the date as possible if you would like to know what effects will be used during a particular show.
If you have any questions or need further specifications, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the venue.
Website
We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and in doing so we strive to adhere to the following standards and guidelines:
This website conforms to the Double-A level of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, as well as people without disabilities in certain situations, such as people using a slow Internet connection, people with "temporary disabilities" such as a broken arm, and people with changing abilities due to aging. Conformance with these guidelines will help make the web more user friendly for all people.
This site has been built using code compliant with W3C standards for XHTML and CSS. It should display correctly in the majority of current browsers, but has been extensively tested on:
All text content on this website uses relative font-sizing which can be increased or decreased using the text-size options in your browser. Most browsers also support the use of ctrl + and ctrl - keyboard shortcuts.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, there may be on occassion areas of the website that fall outside the intended quality levels we aim for. Should you experience any difficulty in accessing our website, or should you simply wish to report an error or incorrect information, please don't hesitate to contact our web team
