What is Liverpool Like for Disabled People?

For disabled people, life is, in the majority of cases, already difficult enough without accessibility becoming an issue.

For a lot of able-bodied people, the trials and tribulations of gaining access to somewhere in order to do something isn’t going to be an issue. For disabled people, meanwhile, there is a need to think long and hard about it before they even leave the house.

It is not uncommon for a wheelchair user to have to phone ahead to a venue in order to asks whether it’s accessible for them, for example, or whether or not there will be a toilet that they can use.

What is Liverpool like from the point of view of a disabled person?

Disabilities Come in All Shapes & Sizes

The first thing that it is really important to acknowledge is that it isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ situation when it comes to disabilities. There are countless reasons why someone might be considered to be disabled and people could have the same ‘condition’ and yet experience disability in entirely different ways from one another.

The guide that we’ve written here is certainly not intended to suggest to someone that they are ‘wrong’ if they have an entirely different experience when visiting Liverpool. Instead, it is meant to offer a sense of what you might experience if you were to go to the city for a trip as a disabled person.

Not all disabilities are visible! pic.twitter.com/aAnthWDJ5B

— Moon 🌙🌈💗 (@Sugary_Carousel) May 23, 2024

No one knows your disability better than you do. We have no intention of trying to inform you that you ‘can’ do X or ‘should’ do Y whilst visiting Liverpool. If you would normally call ahead to a restaurant or a tourist location to find out whether you can be accommodated easily enough then we would still recommended that you do so.

The fact that Liverpool is a city with a lot of history means that there are definitely certain parts of it that inaccessible to some disabled people, with the nature of the building or area such that it would be impossible to install a lift, for example. Most places try to do what they can, but not all are able to.

Getting Around the City

There are a number of transport links in Liverpool that are accessible for disabled people.

Many of the buses in operation around the city have been specially designed with wide doors and low entrances or ramps to enable disabled people to access them.

Mersey Ferries, which allow you to do the ‘Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey’ that Gerry & the Pacemakers sang about in the 1960s is entirely accessible for wheelchair users.

Similarly, the majority of Merseyrail stations are wheelchair accessible and have lifts in operation to allow disabled people to keep up and down to the platform without having to use stairs or escalators.

Staying in the City

If you’re staying in the city then there are well of different hotels on offer that have different levels of accessibility in terms of the rooms available.

From 3-star hotels such as The Liner and various members of the Travelodge chain through to 4-star options like the Radisson Blu and the Hope Street Hotel, there is a likelihood that you’ll be able to find somewhere that has an accessible or partially accessible room that you’ll be able to stay in and that fits your budget.

Being a Tourist

If you want to spend your time in the city of Liverpool enjoying as many tourist experiences as you can, there are a wealth of different options for you that are accessible to disabled people. The Pier Head, where you can spend your time looking at the ‘Three Graces’, is made up of mainly flat terrain with some cobblestones.

The Albert Dock also has cobblestones, but they can be avoided. Fans of The Beatles might want to do The Beatles Story, which is wheelchair accessible with some restrictions. The Cavern Club is similar open to wheelchair users via a lift and internal ramps. The Magical Mystery Tour is only partially accessible, with three steps onto the bus.

@azaliasuhaimi If you’re a huge fan of The Beatles, then the Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool is a must! ✨🎵 I grew up loving and listening to The Beatles thanks to my musical parents ❤️ so hoping and praying to come back here again with them. 🥰 This was amazing! We visited the birthplace, home, schools and various important places to each member of The Beatles. And of course, we visited The Cavern Club, where The Beatles was first seen by Brian Epstein (who then became their manager), and the rest is history! 💥🎸🎵 See you again, Liverpool! #TheBeatles #TheBeatlesFan #MagicalMysteryTour #Travel #TravelTikTok #fyp #TravelTikTok2022 #Liverpool ♬ Magical Mystery Tour (From “Magical Mystery Tour”) – Movie Soundtrack All Stars

If you want to see the likes of Anfield or Goodison Park then you’ll be able to do so, with tours of both stadiums being wheelchair accessible. If you want to get a sense of what Liverpool looks like from high up then a trip up the St Johns Beacon will provide it and is entirely accessible to disabled people.

The Liverpool Wheel also offers decent views and access is via a ramp, with the doors being nice and wide. Those of you of a religious persuasion might want to spend some time at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Neither or them are without their flaws, but both are trying hard to make themselves as accessible as possible.

It Isn’t a Perfect City for Accessibility

The truth is that accessibility for disabled people in Liverpool is far from perfect. One disabled person took to Reddit to reveal their frustrations with the nightlife in the city, for example, saying that ‘99% of bars have zero wheelchair access’.

A lot of this is due to the fact that many of Liverpool’s buildings are Grade I or Grade II listed. This means that companies are either not allowed to install accessible lifts or the like in them or else are not obliged to. If it’s the latter, they obviously weigh-up the cost against the potential gain and, in the majority of cases, decide that it simply isn’t worth it for them to make their venues accessible.

Disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive compared to those without. This is one of the inequalities at the very core of #UnitingTheMovement that we’re aiming to tackle. @GreenbankSports in Liverpool provides opportunities to disabled people, including Liam. pic.twitter.com/6Q1tRxf5tc

— Sport England (@Sport_England) January 31, 2024

The rule of thumb that most disabled people have grown used to applying over the years is that the more modern a building is, the more likely it is to have good accessibility for disabled people.

In a city with more Graded buildings than the majority of places in the country, that is easier said than done.