Following a disabled access audit completed in the summer of 2016, the club have made changes to all disabled toilets at Deepdale.
The access audit was carried out by Level Playing Field and since then we have been working towards making positive adjustments to further improve our facilities and provisions for disabled supporters.
Following the audit and the recommendations from Level Playing Field, all disabled toilets at Deepdale will now be fitted with radar locks, which will require a radar key to open the toilet. These will be fitted before the Reading game this weekend.
This is a nationally recognised key scheme, where one key can open any toilet in a public facility which has a radar lock fitted. This provision ensures that the toilets are being used appropriately and helps to maintain the highest standards for disabled people.
The club understands that many disabled people will already have a radar key for use at other public facilities, however some will not and so a spare key will be available at each disabled toilet for those who currently do not have access to one. The key can be retrieved by entering a code into the key pad on the safe box, located adjacent to the lock. The code can be requested from the ticket office.
If you do not have a key and have a requirement to use these facilities, we would encourage supporters to purchase an official radar key when possible. The official keys are available to purchase for a small amount from various independent websites.
We recognise that not all disabilities are visible and not all people who need access to these toilets have a disability. We hope that this adjustment will significantly benefit supporters who use these facilities on matchdays.
If you have any questions with regards to any of the above, then please contact the club's DSLO Hannah Woodburn on 01772 693324 or via email at hannah@pne.com.