What could be better than a full weekend spent doing what you love surrounded by people doing the same? That is what first drew me to attend the UK Games Expo, held every year around the end of May or start of June in Birmingham. I was dubious initially whether this was an event that would actually be manageable for me as someone living with a disability, however I was pleasantly surprised to find that - with the right planning - the event is exactly that and it has now become a key fixture of my year.
Getting there and getting around
Let’s start with the basics. The Expo takes place within the NEC which is conveniently
connected to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International train station. Step-free
access is possible from the train station all the way through to the NEC with lifts readily
available that can accommodate those in wheelchairs/mobility scooters as well as those who are ambulatory disabled like myself.
Once within the NEC, for every staircase there is a ramp and/or a lift available for those
where stairs would be challenging or impossible. This meant, for myself at least, that I could choose on the day which option would be the most spoon-saving as my condition is variable.
It also would allow those with a more predictable condition to be able to plan their
movements throughout the building well in advance.
Within the halls themselves, this year in particular ample space was provided for walkways
around stalls. Be mindful, however, that these areas can still present a challenge when busy as people are more likely to gather around popular stalls which are often situated near the entrances.
Flooring for the most part is smooth lino, and wall bases have a distinct colour change for
clarity for those with visual difficulties.
Ticketing
This year located in hall 5 along with the bring-and-buy, ticketing had one long ‘general’
queue for all collecting their tickets. Whilst I am not aware of a specific ‘access line’ being
available for those with disabilities, the event does allow for other members of your party to collect your ticket for you - so this could be helpful to those who would find standing like this overwhelming or impossible.
That said, I was pleasantly surprised how wide the lines were set to be, allowing for ample
wheelchair access and never feeling like we were squashed in against other people.
Likewise, the queues move very quickly with plenty of helpful volunteers at the business end to process tickets efficiently.
Ticketing is also open on the Thursday evening before the expo, generally allowing for a
quieter experience for those who are staying the entire event.
Navigation
Maps are readily available for free in the ticketing hall to allow you to plan your trip around the expo in advance, and these maps are also available on their app in advance.
There are also maps up around the NEC to show where you’re going, and signage is clear throughout.
Each row is given a ‘street’ name and the columns an ‘avenue’ name to help you stay on
path, and these are clearly visible looking at the floor with high contrast from the floor lino, as are the stall plot references.
Once in a hall, if you need to find an exit, these are indicated by large chevrons high on the wall so that if you need to get out in a hurry all you need to do is head to those. Signs for toilets are also positioned high on the walls and clearly visible from all points within the halls, making them straightforward to make a bee-line for in the case of urgency.
Mobility aids
Whilst as with anywhere you may prefer to bring your own mobility equipment with you if you have it, the NEC also has a limited number of scooters and wheelchairs available for hire. It is recommended that you book these well in advance, which can be done through the NEC website. There is also a charge for hiring this, although this is proportional in cost to other mobility schemes across the country.
Toilets
Plenty of toilet facilities can be found throughout the venue, with each ‘set’ providing male and female gendered facilities, at least one disabled/wheelchair accessible option and a
child changing space. Disabled toilets are radar keyed, so it is sensible to make sure you are carrying yours if this is something that you require.
It is also of note that there are a handful of gender neutral options available within the venue, and that there is also a Changing Places facility by Hall 2.
Sensory management and crowds
Something that is unavoidable at large conventions is noise and the potential for elbowing as you move around. To my knowledge it is not possible to hire ear defenders within the NEC, however I did note a fair amount of visitors using these. Likewise, a good pair of earplugs may help those struggling to cope with the noise.
Saturday is by far the busiest day of the con, so my advice for those who really do struggle with the crowds would be to avoid this particular day if it’s possible as Friday and Sunday
tend to be calmer. That said, for anybody feeling overwhelmed over any of the days there is the option of the Quiet Room to get some respite as needed.
Final Thoughts
My overall impression with the expo is that both the venue and event organisers do
implement a diverse and reasonable amount of accessibility adjustments that I believe would allow most disabled people to be able to attend the event. That said, there is unfortunately still a degree of relying on the general public to allow these adjustments to be available as there would be with any event.
The Bring and Buy in particular is very busy/crowded, and I feel that even with the venue's
best attempts, this is still one area where those with mobility issues would struggle. Likewise, for any big giveaways and for busy areas in general, there is a lot of traffic and thus the reliance for people to allow passage through for those in a wheelchair/scooter.
My advice would be to look into all your access requirements well in advance, plan and bring someone with you who can help you navigate to take some of the burden off yourself, much as I did. This is an incredibly fun and enjoyable event, which I believe is as fully accessible as it can be, and that being a disabled person did not overly limit what I could access on my visits.
