A guide from a neurodivergent student who has tried & tested

London is amazing, but getting around as a disabled student can be tricky. Between old buildings with no lifts, packed tubes, and venues that still don’t get accessibility right, it can feel like the city wasn’t made with us in mind. But after some research I have pulled together my top accessible London recommendations for you to enjoy.

 📜Imperial War Museum📜

Not most people’s go-to museum, the Imperial War Museum is extremely detailed, wheelchair accessible and even has a quiet room. If you’re neurodivergent with a special interest in war, this is THE place for you. All of the information can be a little overwhelming though, so I would recommend planning out which exhibitions you want to go to beforehand. But the quiet room is always there if you get overstimulated. The museum isn’t that crowded usually, and even less on weekdays. It has a number of really interesting historical artefacts like actual World War 2 fighter aircraft, tanks and an enigma machine.

The museum has free entry but sometimes they do special exhibitions that are paid (you can usually get discounted tickets with a Student Art Pass at most places) and they have a really great gift shop that is worth checking out!

 💍Queen’s House (+ Greenwich Park and Vintage Market)💍

This art gallery might just be one of the best places I’ve visited in London and is so massively underrated. Its fully wheelchair accessible, LGBTQ+ friendly with gender-neutral toilets and has an audio guide by a drag historian called Fierce Royals! It even has artworks by historians focusing on black history and the museum acknowledges how old royal buildings like the Queen’s House had been acquired by imperialism and colonisation wealth. As a museum lover, this is one of the first times I’ve seen a museum genuinely go above and beyond to portray history as accurately as possible and to be an inclusive space for all people!

Moreover, their completely free audio guide also has sign language translators (as is the case with most attractions in Greenwich!) and is quite close to Greenwich Park which is an amazing picnic spot! The Greenwich Vintage Market is another wheelchair-accessible shopping and thrifting stop nearby (my personal favourite spot is the antique jewellery stall which sells jewellery for a pound a piece, and 6 pieces for 5 pounds! The best bargain I have ever found in London honestly.)

Fun fact: Greenwich Park was actually built by the same person who designed the Versailles Gardens in France!

🐠  London Night Café🐠

This cozy, quirky nook in Central London comes to life at 6pm when most other tourist places close. If you hate overhead lighting (I know I do), this is definitely the place for you as the entire café has vivid, neon lighting, very comfy sofas, beach chairs, and everything in this café has been collected and thrifted! It even comes with a ball pit (!!) which honestly took all my stress away when I went there to study before an exam. It is an amazing way to meet new people or to just get some work done in a different environment.

Entry is 7 pounds per person but it lets you stay until 3am and gives you access to unlimited drinks and snacks (they usually have vegan and gluten-free ones too!). Added bonus if you live in Lilian Knowles Hall as it’s just a 5 min walk away! (Sadly, this place is not currently wheelchair-friendly)

🎨 Tate Modern🎨

If you’re interested in art, this is a must-visit place for you. It is also fully wheelchair accessible, has two quiet rooms and is right next to the LGBTQ+ Community Centre on the South Bank. (Bonus if you live in Bankside House as its literally next door!) From 3-D artworks, modern art, special exhibitions to full room pieces that totally immerse you, Tate Modern grasps your attention through music, film and visual media, fully captivating all of your senses and it truly makes you think more critically and artistically about the world around you.

Most exhibitions are completely free of charge and even though I’ve been here loads of times, I would still go again because every piece of art is THAT good. It is huge though so I would recommend people to plan out what they want to see beforehand. The staff are also really sweet and they have a great gift shop as well!

 🌈 LGBTQ+ community centre🌈

Fully wheelchair accessible, equipped with a quiet room for people with sensory needs, this vibrant, colourful corner on the South Bank even provides assistive hearing loops in addition to being a safe place for all LGBTQ+ people. They host a range of events from crafts, socials, book clubs, various activities and even meetups for specific age groups, races, genders and nationalities. (Most events are completely free!)

The place is so well decorated with posters and flyers and is an amazing way to make new friends! You can even donate and swap clothes here; there is something here for everyone indeed! (Entry is free of charge! + option to buy hot drinks and cool LGBTQ+ pins, stickers, clothes and more!)

🪴 Sky Garden (+other parks)🪴

Another completely free spot, the Sky Garden is wheelchair accessible and offers views comparable to London Eye, with a bar, restaurant and of course a garden too. It is usually quite crowded though so for my autistic warriors, please carry noise-cancelling headphones or a pair of loop earplugs.

Pretty much all gardens in London are disability-friendly and I personally really enjoyed Battersea Park with its cherry blossoms, lots of pretty little gardens, statue of a dog commemorating the victims of vivisection, flower beds and a lake with ducks and even swans. Regent’s Park is another huge one which is incredibly beautiful and a must-visit for all nature lovers + the sunset views on the lake are absolutely breathtaking.

--💗💗Lastly, I would like to acknowledge how hard it is for wheelchair users to get around London as only a third of all tube stops are actually wheelchair-friendly. I would recommend all people with mobility issues or disabilities to get the app TfL Go, which has live lift updates, and the app Sociability, which helps all disabled people find accessible places.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!!💗