Accessibility Information

• Toilets: There are accessible toilets around the zoo, including in the car park and just inside the zoo grounds – we have a Changing Places facility accessed by Radar Key.

• Queues: Some areas of the zoo require you to wait in queues that can be quite lengthy and noisy at busy periods – we have a system and team members in place to help with this.

• Ear defenders: These may be useful and appropriate in noisy queues and exhibits. The entrance building and Australian Rainbows walkthrough can be particularly noisy.

• Assistance dogs: Assistance dogs are permitted into the zoo. Therapy dogs are not permitted, please refer to Assistance Dogs section.

• Procedures: We have evacuation procedures and safe refuges in place with trained colleagues who will support you in case of an emergency – please cooperate and follow their direction.

• Doors: We have many glass doors – the majority of which are marked with transfers.

• Enclosures: We have many glass enclosures fronts – the majority of these are not marked and many do not have any obvious barrier in front them.

• Pathways: Pathways can have bumps and rockery edges that are uneven.

• Plantation: Natural hedging is used around some areas and can obstruct views from wheelchairs.

• Payment: Most of our ticket office, shops and catering facilities have contactless card readers for payments up to £100, over this amount you will need to insert your card and enter your PIN.

• Staff: We have a number of colleagues and zoo hosts who have been trained to understand and respond to accessibility and other issues associated with inclusion and diversity. They will be pleased to assist you if you make your needs known to them.

• Information and interpretation boards: These are situated near animal enclosures and carry facts and information about the species. If you need these to be explained, please locate a member of our team and they will do their best to assist you with this.

• Animal Encounters: We have a daily programme of animal talks from keepers and this is usually a good time to see the animals closer and ask any questions you have. The talks are delivered via a loudspeaker however, if you have accessibility issues, please do let a member of the team know and we will try to assist you. We have Audio Encounters to support some of our animal encounters – https://www.colchester-zoo.com/discover/audio-encounters/
 
• Giraffe Feeding Experience: This is fully accessible but you should book in advance. This feed and the majority, but not all, of other Experiences that we offer may be adapted to be accessible subject to the specific requirements of the guests and the area where the experience takes place. Please refer to the Animal Experiences section.

Zoo address:
Colchester Zoo,
Maldon Road,
Stanway,
Colchester
Essex CO3 0SL

By car
• Colchester Zoo is located just south of Colchester.
• Take the A1124 exit (Junction 26) off the main A12 following the brown elephant
signs and using the Stanway Western Bypass.
• Car parking is free and accessible car parking spaces are available close to the
zoo entrance.
• Please display your Blue badges when you use the accessible parking area.
• The main car park surface is grass however, the accessible parking area is on
hardstanding.
• During peak periods the car park may get full – please make a member
of staff aware of your needs and they will do all they can to identify a suitable space for you.

By public transport
• You can get to Colchester Zoo by bus No 75 from Colchester Bus Station
• The zoo is on the outskirts of town and public transport can be unpredictable
• You can get a taxi from various local taxi services that also have wheelchair
accessible vehicles.

Accessible parking spaces are available near to the zoo main entrance. These spaces are designated for holders of Blue Badge Holders.
Blue Badges must be properly displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle with the side showing the wheelchair symbol facing forward.

There is level access from the accessible parking spaces to the zoo main entrance building.

There are accessible toilets in the car park.

The team will be pleased to assist you with annual passes, general enquiries, and experience enquiries. The office is situated on the right-hand side in the main entrance building. The service desk is low however, team members will be please to come around the desk to help deal with your enquiries. All tills are also fitted with a loop system.

Tickets:
Any guest with a disability will be required to purchase the relevant adult, child or senior admission ticket, online in advance to enter the zoo. Colchester Zoo will then admit an assistant FREE of charge, upon request when verification of disability is shown. Please have these available when you arrive at the zoo.

Click here for admission ticket information. 
 
Zoo Passes:
Any guest with a disability will be required to purchase the relevant adult, child or senior Zoo Pass.

Forms of Verification:
• Blue Badge
• PIP Letter
• Current Disability Living Allowance Letter

Click here for Gold Pass prices

Please note: Wheelchairs and mobility scooters will not be available to hire during our Enchanted Trail of Light events.

We have a facility to hire a limited number of manual wheelchairs and electric scooters inside the zoo grounds next to the zoo main entrance.

All hires must be pre-booked at least 24hrs in advance before your visit.

Hire Prices:
• Manual wheelchair hire: £5.00
A £20 returnable deposit will be required on the day of your visit in order for the wheelchair to be released to you. (deposit price is per wheelchair)
• Mobility Scooter hire: £25.00
A £30 returnable deposit will be required on the day of your visit in order for the scooter to be released to you. (deposit price is per scooter)

If you would like to hire a wheelchair or electric mobility scooter, please email our team on admissions@colchesterzoo.org

Please be aware that until a confirmation from our team is received, an enquiry is not a confirmed booking due to the high demand. Mobility scooters are available for hire by those over 18 years ONLY.

Most of our ticket office, shops and catering facilities have contactless card readers for payments up to £100. Any balance due over £100, will require you to insert your card and enter your PIN. Our team will be pleased to insert your card for you, however do keep your PIN private and please do not ask our team to enter this for you as they will politely decline.

There are a limited number of storage lockers available inside the zoo near the entrance to the Outpost Gift Shop. Card payment only.

Locker Hire:
• Medium Locker. 4 hours £3.00 or 8 hours £5.00
• Large Locker. 4 hours £6.00 or 8 hours £10.00

Click here for terms of use.

The terrain is naturally hilly with some paths having a steep incline in some places. The majority of the paths around the zoo can be accessed by wheelchair and have a variety of hard surfaces, such as block paving, decking board and concrete / tarmacadam.

We have one very steep hill near the main office building (redbrick house) that we clearly mark as NOT BEING SUITABLE for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Due to the extra demand the hills make on mobility scooter batteries, please make sure they are fully charged for your visit.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, or if you have suggestions that will help us improve our facilities, please let us know by contacting the relevant department.

There is level access to the following:

• We have several accessible toilets around the zoo.
• Changing Places facility is available near Meerkat Hangout and is accessible via Radar Key.
• All of our shops are accessible. Please refer to the shopping section.
• Jungle Tumble. Please refer to the shopping section.  
• Train Station. Please note the Lost Madagascar Express Train has an accessible carriage.
• Kalahari Theatre.
• Sensation Station.
• All of catering outlets.

Our zoo hosts are trained to be Autism Aware. We are also training zoo staff. They will be wearing a badge as to identify themselves. Please also refer to visual story for more information.

The zoo is an exciting place full of noise, information, customers, different levels of lighting etc. however, we understand that these can present some difficulties for guests who have autism and their families or personal assistants. We do our best to understand these issues and have a number of Autism Friendly trained team members (they will be wearing a badge) who will do their best to assist you. You may wish to bring ear defenders to use in some places.

Areas of the zoo that you may wish to take note of are –

• Entrance building: This area can be very busy, noisy and congested. It is also a very brightly lit, open space that can be overwhelming. You may find ear defenders are useful in this area.

• Jungle Tumble indoor play area: This is always busy and noisy with children playing and screaming with excitement. There is a small refreshment kiosk facility in the building. There are also accessible toilets. You may find ear defenders are useful in this area.

NOTE: There is a Health and Safety requirement that socks are worn at all times in this play area so it may be useful to plan for this ahead of visiting.

• Giraffe feeding experience: Our Giraffe feeding experience must be booked in advance. If you require assistance, please speak to a member of the zoo team who will let you know what options are available to support your experience.

• Australian Rainbows: Both our Australian Rainbows (lorikeet free flying enclosure) and our Chimpanzee Lookout animals can, and do, make loud noises. You may find ear defenders are useful in this area.

• Quiet Zones: The zoo has several designated ‘quiet zones’ please refer to the Accessible Guide and Map.

• Face Painting Station: Occasional queues as very popular. Please speak with a zoo host or Jungle Tumble manager if special requirements are needed.

• Exit: The zoo exit is via The Outpost Gift shop. This is a very busy environment with many stimulation items and sounds. If you would prefer to leave the zoo by an alternative exit, please speak to a colleague who will be pleased to assist you.

If you become aware of any other information that would have assisted your visit, please contact customerengagement@colchesterzo.org

We have a hearing loop in areas around the zoo. Tills in the entrance and at guest services are fitted with loop systems.

The majority of our team have disability awareness training via an ongoing professional development programme

Some staff and volunteers have basic Makaton and BSL training.

We have a printed guide of our Lost Madagascar Train commentary – please speak to the train driver on the day of your visit.

Whilst we welcome all guests Colchester Zoo, is not an easy place to visit for guests who are blind or have severe visual impairment.

We recommend that you be accompanied by an assistant dog or sighted guide. Please refer to Assistance Dogs section.

There are accessible parking bays near the zoo entrance, if you have visual impairment, it is worth letting the car park marshals know so they can assist you in locating a space.

If you need assistance during your visit, please make a member of our team aware.

We understand how important your assistance dog is in supporting you during your visit. We have a specific ASSISTANCE DOGS ACCESSIBILITY POLICY that sets our Code of Conduct for assistance dog owners. Our policy helps us to ensure that all our visitors and our permanent animals have a safe and stress-free time.

Download LARGE PRINT FORM / STANDARD PRINT FORM

Therapy or Comfort Dogs:
These are rather general terms and often used to describe a dog that is used to benefit people in a therapeutic way.  This incorporates quite a wide range of potential activities with a wide range of potential people and guests. Some pets take part in visiting programmes, whilst others take part in structured activities as part of a therapeutic programme or practice. Therapy dogs in the UK are not considered to be assistance dogs. This is because an assistance dog is trained to perform specific tasks to help a disabled person and are usually qualified by one of the charitable organisations registered as members of Assistance Dogs UK. 
Ref : The Society for Companion Animal Studies

Dogs In Cars:
No dogs are allowed on any part of the Zoo site including our car park – with the exception of guide and assistance dogs under specific conditions. Colchester Zoo does not allow dogs to be left in cars, even with ventilation and water, anyone found leaving dogs in their car will be refused entry to the Zoo.

The zoo is a major visitor attraction and we are pleased to welcome over 1 million guests who visit us each year. Queues and crowds are therefore inevitable at busy periods especially at our very popular restaurants, catering, retail outlet, and guest services.

If you require assistance with waiting in line, then please let a team member know and they will explain how they may be able to assist you. This will usually be giving you the option of waiting in the area, within sight of the team, until the majority of the queue has been served. We will call you forward for a more relaxed experience. It is your responsibility to make a member of our team aware.

You also have the option of queuing with all others guests and you remain in control of that decision however, experience tells us the former option usually is preferred by guests. Please be aware that it’s unlikely that you will be moved to the front of the queue ahead of other guests.

We have a suggested Easier Route marked with green arrows on the ground to ensure you don’t miss anything! This is aimed at those with pushchairs, mobility scooters and wheelchairs as it avoids steeper hills but not all within the zoo. You can download our Easier Route map here.

Toilets for those with disability:
All sets of toilets around Colchester Zoo and at our cafes have toilet facilities for those with disability.

Changing Places Facility:
A registered Changing Places changing facility is available for those with additional needs at the toilet facilities near the meerkat enclosure.

The key features of a Changing Places facility are:
– It can be accessed using a radar key
– A height adjustable changing bench
– Ceiling track hoist (a sling is NOT provided and will need to be brought with you on your visit)
– Space for more than one assistant

This facility is intended for radar key holders only. If you do not have a key and require use of this facility please ask a member of staff at the Meerkat Hangout catering facility or Guest Services for assistance. 

For the full terms and conditions of using this facility please click here. For more information on Changing Places please visit www.changing-places.org

Be VIPs for the day (or half day) with some of the finest and most intimate close-up animal experiences that a group can enjoy together.

Keeper Shadowing offers the possibility to enjoy an amazing close up and personal animal experience.

Step into the boots of a zoo keeper for an amazing day that will take you closer to the animals than ever before. Venture behind the scenes and find out just what it takes to care for some of the most incredible and endangered animals on the planet.

Looking for the perfect way to celebrate a landmark event with a loved one? Whatever the occasion, this shared close-up animal experience, with delicious meal served to your table, will create memories to treasure!

The perfect experience for children who dream of working with animals one day! Step behind the scenes to meet some incredible animals and enjoy a hands-on experience with expert tuition from our Animal Care Team.

Visual Social Story
We have produced an online, downloadable visual social story. This has been designed with the intent of helping caregivers of individuals with autism and other specific needs to make the most of a visit to Colchester Zoo. It can, however, be utilised by anyone.

Sensory Exploration Trail
We have produced two downloadable sensory trails designed to help you explore the zoo. There is a longer version which includes exploration around the entire zoo. There is also a shorter version which focuses just on exploring the Familiar Friends farm section of the zoo.

* There is audio information around the park for the visually impaired.

* The Entrance Kiosks and Guest Services are fitted with an induction loop hearing system. Please advise a member of staff and switch your hearing aid to T.

* All commercial staff have a pad and pen with them to be able to assist with communicating with deaf people and the very hard of hearing. Please indicate to staff if you would like to use this option.

Double and Triple pushchairs: 
Please note that some users of some double and triple pushchairs may experience problems in accessing some of our standard single doorways.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, or if you have suggestions that will help us improve our facilities, please let us know by contacting our customer engagement Officer by emailing customerengagement@colchesterzoo.org or by calling 01206 331292 ext. 222

Inclusion and diversity champion – 01206 331292 ext. 222

General Information – Guest Services    01206 331292 ext. 227, 228, 230