Making Drake Circus accessible for all

We’re proud to support all of our customers, regardless of their requirements.

Throughout Drake Circus, we have methods in place to assist customers throughout their visit – whether that’s with disabled parking bays or quieter shopping periods.

Recognising the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

Drake Circus has launched the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, to support more than 10 million people living in the UK that have a hidden disability.

The scheme is designed to help ensure Drake Circus and the Barcode are accessible to all visitors by raising awareness of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, which is used to discreetly indicate to people around the wearer that they may need additional support, help, or a little more time.

If you’d like to find out more, or discuss our support further visit Hidden Disabilities Sunflower or call 01752 223030 to speak to a member of our team.

Staff training

We continually invest in training for our teams to ensure they are equipped to support our community.

40% of our team are currently WorldHost trained with continued training plans in place. WorldHost is a collection of world-class customer service training programmes focused on improving the quality of customer experience.

We also have team members trained in Adult Mental Health First Aid, in order to recognise the signs of mental health problems and help people find the support they need to stay well.

In addition, members of our team are trained in Dementia Friends. Delivered by Alzheimer’s Society, the Dementia Friends programme is the biggest-ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia.

Our team are always on hand to support should you require assistance during your visit. Please look out for our team in their bright blue shirts and ‘Here to help’ jackets. Our Customer Service desk is located on the First Floor and is DDA compliant and features an audio induction loop. Our Customer Service desk is open between 10am – 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Quiet times

We run a monthly sensory shopping event on the first Saturday of every month between 9am – 10am where lights are dimmed and music is turned off wherever possible.

Changing Places

Our Changing Places facility is located on the First Floor (next to Spudulike by James Martin) and access is via a radar key. If you do not have your own with you, please speak to a member of our team, who will be happy to help.

The facilities are open from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 8pm Thursday and 10am – 5pm Sunday. They include:

• Changing bench – adult sized and height adjustable
• Hoist – ceiling hoist design to be used with loop attachment slings
• Toilet – the toilet has room either side for carers to support
• Sink
• Chair
• Handrails

Accessible toilets

We have a number of accessible toilets at Drake Circus, which can be found in the following locations:

• First Floor, Food Court (next to Spudulike by James Martin) – two disabled toilets (no radar key required) which are both fitted with handrails
• First Floor, Food Court (next to Spudulike by James Martin) – a Changing Places facility which is fitted with a height adjustable changing bench and hoist, as well as toilet facilities with handrails
• Lower Mall (main toilets, between No. 1 Currency and Bubble CiTea) – two disabled toilets (no radar key required) which are both fitted with handrails
• Lower Mall (next to Krispy Kreme, opposite M&S main entrance) – one disabled toilet (no radar key required) which is fitted with handrails

All our disabled facilities have signs to highlight that not all disabilities are visible.

Accessible parking

We have 52 designated disabled parking bays at Drake Circus:

• Level 1 – 20
• Level 2 – 19 (9 inner and 10 outer)
• Level 3 – 13

We have 21 designated disabled parking bays at The Barcode:

• Upper Level (Yellow)- 11
• Lower Level (Orange)- 10

Please note disabled bays are chargeable.

See more details on parking tariffs and car park opening times

Shopmobility

Our Shopmobility facility is open 7 days a week and is located on Car Park Level 2 at Drake Circus. Wheelchairs are available for hire to use in the shopping centre, and some scooters that are available to hire for people with a valid Shopmobility membership card. For more information, please call the Drake Circus Shopmobility team on 01752 221530.

Shopmobility opening hours at Drake Circus:

• 10am – 5pm Monday – Saturday
• 10.30am – 4.30pm on Sunday

For a wider selection of equipment, you can visit Access Plymouth, a local mobility charity. Set close to Drake Circus, you can register for the scheme and then use scooters and wheelchairs both in the mall and around the Plymouth shopping area.

The first time you use the powered equipment, you will need to book a short test to make sure that the team have the correct equipment for you and that they are happy to let you use it. This test MUST be pre-booked.

Joining the Shopmobility scheme costs £13.00 per year (or £5 for a 3-week holiday membership) and then £6 per day for hire.

For full details, please visit the Shopmobility website or call Access Plymouth directly on 01752 600633.

Dog-friendly

Drake Circus is a dog-friendly centre – with all of our stores and restaurants welcoming Guide Dogs and many welcoming well-behaved dogs and their owners. Visit our dog-friendly page for more information.