Even though it is less accessible, we use Studio 1 because it has suspension points. Many of our events are floor based, and it that case we will use the ground floor Studio 3.
Getting inside
Inside the courtyard, the entrance is on the same side you have entered, through the fourth door from the left. The door has the Dance Studio Leeds sign on it and is open.
Unfortunately, there is no step-free access to the studio and there is no lift available.
The entrance from the courtyard is up one step. There is a metal railing in front of the manual door, meaning that you need to get past the railing to open the door and get inside. Cars are often parked very close to the entrance, obstructing access.
After going through the door, there are 5 steps, a landing, and then 14 more steps. There is a handrail along one side of the stairs.
The room we use will be ahead of you, to the left, after you come in, through a single manual door. Please be careful when entering before stated start time as other classes use the space. There is a waiting area to the right with low and high seating and some tables.
Once inside, you will be required to take off your shoes to access most of the floor area, as it is covered in specialist flooring. Please speak to us in advance if you think this might be an issue. A shoe rack and coat hooks are provided near the room entrance, but can get quite full, and the area underneath is often full of people’s bags – we are working on finding a solution which will remedy this.
Seating
The event takes place on mats on the floor. There is a sofa and a high chair available in the room – if these are taken and you need to sit down due to disability, please mention it to a crew member and we will make space for you without further questions. If that’s not suitable, or if you wish to sit on a normal height chair throughout the event and/or whilst tying or being tied, we are usually able to accommodate that. There’s usually fold out chairs in the room – if these are not present please speak to a crew member and we will find one for you. We need to be mindful of the dance floor, so we might ask you to place the chair on one of our mats to protect the floor against scratches.
Facilities
The bathrooms are through a manual door in front of the door to our room. There, there is a corridor which serves as a changing space, with some benches and coat hooks, and at the end of it there are two separate bathrooms. One is marked as “male” and other as “female”, but people of all genders have been known to use both without issue.
Each bathroom contains a toilet, a small sink, a bin, a wall mounted mirror and a paper towel dispenser. There is usually a basket with reusable towels outside the bathrooms. The bathrooms are quite narrow and are not very well suited to accommodating two people (e.g. a carer).
There are no Changing Places toilets in the vicinity. The nearest one is at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UP.
Food and drink
We are an alcohol free event – beyond that you are welcome to bring any food and drink you may like with you. There is a small kitchenette within the studio, with a sink, kettle, mugs, tea spoons and we provide a selection of free tea, coffee and biscuits. This includes caffeine-free options and dairy-free alternatives.
There is a larger kitchen which our attendees can use located within the Dance Studio. It contains a sink, kettle, microwave, fridge, toaster, an electric boiling water dispenser, mugs and plastic cups and a selection of cutlery. There are two sofas and a coffee table and a counter with high bar chairs in the room. The kitchen is located straight ahead through a narrow corridor as you come up the stairs.
Quiet spaces
We rent a single room from the Dance Studio so we cannot guarantee a quiet space. The studio is generally quite quiet during classes, but can get busy between classes as people are coming and leaving. Some spaces which can be quiet and secluded between classes are:
- The changing area (out of our door, straight ahead through another manual door, there are benches for sitting). Please note that this is also where toilets are located so some people might be passing through.
- The waiting area (just outside our door, there is a sofa and some bar chairs and tables). Please note that DSL staff might be there, manning the front desk, and people might be passing through.
- The kitchen area (as you come in up the stairs, straight ahead of you through the corridor. There are tables and chairs as well as kitchen facilities as listed under the food and drink section.) Please note people might be passing through or using the kitchen facilities.
Access for D/deaf, hard of hearing and sound sensitive people
It is not uncommon for us to get background noise music from dance classes being led in other parts of the studio. There is a large air conditioning unit with heating, which is rather noisy when turned on, but we use it sparingly. We usually turn it off at least during demonstrations and talks, but please speak to a crew member if you need further assistance.
Access for Blind, visually impaired and light-sensitive people
ROH – workshop events
The room is lit brightly with uncovered fluorescent lights. They do not tend to flicker, but we cannot guarantee that they are fully flicker free. There are a couple of small, highly positioned windows in the room, but most of the light is artificial source and constant level, provided by ceiling lights.
RopeSpace – play events
We turn off the overhead lights in favour of mood lighting provided by standing lamps and (many, many) fairy lights. If you have any concerns about this or might require additional lighting please message us at least a week before the event and we can discuss arrangements.
Other access information
The space is not well insulated, so it can get quite hot in the summer and quite cold in the winter. We advise layering up so you can adjust your clothing to your comfort levels and to consider bringing a blanket.
There is a big air conditioning unit with heating, and when turned out it can sometimes cause the temperature to get too much in the other direction, though we do try to keep it balanced. It is also quite noisy so we might need to pause it during demonstrations and talks for noise accessibility.
As we are sharing the space with other groups, we cannot provide signage above what’s already in the venue (toilets/changing space are signposted, but the signs are not high contrast).
If you need any additional information, or have any questions or concerns please use the contact box on the main page or email us at ropeofficehours@gmail.com and we will respond as soon as we can. We are also more than happy to make any adjustments we realistically can so please do get in touch if there is anything we can do to make your time with us easier, or possible for that matter.
If you feel like there is something that is not included in this guide but should be, please message us and we will work on adding that information.
This writing was put together by ROH crew with help from Ellen Murray’s Accessibility guide and disabled attendees.
Last updated 10/02/2023