Access at BDF

Accessible guide to BDF

We’ve done our best to make your time with us as enjoyable as possible. Follow the guide below to find out more about what access options are in place.

If you have any issues please get in touch at support@birminghamdesign.co.uk.

Wheelchair Access

All of our venues are accessible by wheelchair, though the route to get to them may not be. We appreciate this is frustrating but unfortunately unavoidable.

Wheelchair access at venues
To learn about the wheelchair access at specific venues and where to go for your talk/workshop, head to our venues page and select the venue you are attending, or click on the venue information from the event itself.

Navigating between venues
Because of transport works in the city centre, the direct path between BCU Parkside (the Graphic Hub) and The Printmakers (Digital Hub) is down the canal path which is not wheelchair accessible. There is an alternative, more accessible/wheelchair friendly route, that takes you around Moor Street Station, but this is longer so please be prepared to leave plenty of time to transfer between venues. We’d recommend taking a taxi for this journey.

Equally, the direct route between The Printmakers and E H Smith (Analogue Hub) is currently undergoing tram line construction, as a result this may not be wheelchair accessible. There are several other streets you can use to move between the venues that are slightly less direct, but won’t add additional time to your journey.

Quiet Rooms & Prayer Spaces

With several hundred attendees dotted around the festival at any one time we appreciate that sometimes you might need a break. We have a couple of designated spaces at the festival if you need to do so.

BCU Parkside
There are male and female prayer rooms located at Parkside which can double up as a quiet space if you need it. Please ask a member of the team or at the reception at Parkside for directions to the rooms.

Howells (next door to E H Smith at the Analogue hub)
We have designated quiet space next door to our main Analogue venue. Please ask a members of the team for directions.

The festival itself is designed to give lots of opportunities for breaks. Each talk is 40 minutes followed by a 20 minute break. Because we have multiple venues, the walks between often offer a chance to readjust.

Other provisions

Signed and/or captioned talks
Unfortunately due to the structure of the festival we are not able to offer any signed or caption talks this year.

Carer/companion tickets and seating
If you require seating for a carer or companion please let a member of the team know and we will ensure you’re able to be sat together.

Any additional requirements
If there’s anything else you need to help make the most of the festival please let us know by dropping us an email or speaking to a volunteer or member of the team on the day.