Accessibility requirements FAQs
Graduation is a special day that all graduates and their guests should be able to enjoy with as few obstacles as possible. Here are some of the ways we can ensure your graduation day runs smoothly.
How do I tell you if I have accessibility requirements?
At the time of registering, please let us know if you or your guests have any accessibility requirements of which we should be aware. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Mobility issues
- Neurodivergence and/or sensory processing issues
- Wheelchair or walking aid use
- Visual or auditory impairment
- A guide or assistance dog
- Pregnancy
- Temporary disability (e.g. a broken leg)
You can let us know via the ‘accessibility requirements’ box on the registration form. If you have already registered and did not mention an accessibility requirement when doing so, you will need to contact us by email at grad-acd@salford.ac.uk.
We may contact you prior to the day to discuss arrangements with you and ensure your Graduation day runs as smoothly as possible for you and your guests.
What arrangements can be made for guests with additional requirements?
In the ceremony, graduates and guests are seated separately. As graduates are seated in the stalls close to the stage, most guests are allocated balcony seats. There is no lift access to the balcony so, if your guests require ground floor seating, please let us know.
I’m graduating and I have an accessibility requirement
During ceremonies, graduates are usually seated together with their cohort to ensure they cross the stage in the correct order. They are led out of the theatre row by row and required to wait backstage for a few minutes until it is their turn to cross it.
However, we realise there are circumstances in which this may not be possible or appropriate. To make things easier in such cases, we have a special row dedicated to accessible seating. If you are seated in this row, you will sit slightly away from your cohort. You will be taken directly to the stage via an accessible route when it is your turn to graduate, and then led back to your seat. Please note that you will still cross the stage in sequence with your cohort even if you are not sitting among them.
We also offer graduates with accessibility requirements the opportunity to check-in remotely on the day. This means that, rather than going to check-in and collect your guest tickets and gown from their respective locations, you will report directly to the information desk outside Maxwell Hall on the day. Everything you need will be waiting for you in one place, reducing the number of places you will need to visit.
If you require accessible seating or remote check-in, email grad-acd@salford.ac.uk as soon as possible to let us know.
Is there disabled parking available?
The car park outside the Peel Building, just a few metres from Maxwell Hall, has some designated accessible parking bays.
Maxwell Hall seating plan
Maxwell Hall seating plan