Accessibility

Our Aim

We aim to provide excellent customer service and entertainment to all our customers, regardless of their abilities so that they can enjoy The Regal without barriers.

Our Approach

We are committed to making the visit of every customer as easy and enjoyable as possible. If there is anything we can do to make your visit more straightforward, please get in touch. You are welcome to visit us with your carer/companion prior to your film/show/event, to familiarise yourself with the venue’s layout of that would help.

Arrival

The Regal can be reached on foot, by car or by public transport. Stowmarket Train Station is just a 9 minute walk away and the Ipswich Reds 88 bus service stops just 150 metres from the venue.

We are located directly next to Ipswich Street Car Park which has a limited number of parking spaces available including 4 x disabled and 6 x EV charging bays. The other closest car park is Milton Road (outside B&M). We recommend that customers look into local parking facilities prior to their visit.

The Regal has bicycle parking faciliites if you wish to cycle.

There is a flight of 13 stairs to the front of the venue and so some customers may find that approaching via the car park is easier although there is short and steep rise at the entrance to the car park. The elevated position occupied by The Regal means that there are inclines which will need to be negotiated by customers with mobility issues for which we apologise.

Venue Accessibility

The entire venue including The 1936 Café Bar boasts level access for customers. Regal 1, 2 and 3 feature two wheelchair bays each, the locations of which vary between each auditorium. This gives wheelchair users the best chance of seeing the performance they want, with the view that best suits them.

The table below details the wheelchair bay and companion/carer seat numbers and their locations in each of our auditoriums:

*E2 in Regal 2 is bookable as either a wheelchair bay or a carer/companion seat.

Each of our auditoriums has a number of steps in, please see the below table for details:

We have a low level box office counter for collecting or purchasing tickets or snacks.

There are also accessible toilet facilities for our customers, with one to the side of the foyer and the other behind The 1936.

We also have wheelchair access for visiting artists/performers with level access to the stage and an additional accessible WC back stage.

Box Office

The seats directly next to wheelchair bays are always the last seats to be sold for any film screening or live show. These are held back from sale initially to ensure that any customers who use a wheelchair are guaranteed an adjacent seat for an accompanying carer, if required. These seats will only be released for general sale 10 minutes before a film or show starts.

When booking film tickets for a customer with an accompanying  carer, customers should select the appropriate ticket type (Adult, Child or Concession) followed by a CEA Carer/Companion ticket which will need to be validated by inputting the disabled customer’s unique CEA card number. Please note that CEA cards are only useable against film ticket purchases.

The 1936 Café Bar

Our new café bar features level access for wheelchair users and is located between two accessible toilet facilities. To comply with Covid-19 guidelines, customers are asked to order from their table using our app. If you or somebody you are accompanying would like assistance in reading the menu or ordering, please ask a member of staff, we’ll be happy to help.

Cinema Performance Types

In order to make film screenings at The Regal more accessible to everyone, selected films will be scheduled as per the following performance types:

Audio Description - a form of narration used to provide information surrounding key visual elements in a film for the benefit of blind and visually impaired customers. Please note, audio description is available on almost all films. Where it is not available, each individual film screening will have a purple "NA" (Not Audio Described) tag next to it.

Baby Friendly Screenings - Designed to let those with new-borns, relax and enjoy a newly released “grown-up” movie (up to 12A) whilst providing a comfortable environment for babies with low level lighting, reduced sound levels and a more relaxed attitude to moving around the auditorium throughout the film. Baby Friendly screenings will be marked on the website with "BF". Please Note - Our Baby Friendly Screenings do not have the same number of adverts and trailers as our regular film screenings, please anticipate the film to start at the advertised time.

Relaxed Screenings - Suitable for those living with Dementia, Autism or other Neurodiversity, these screenings have adaptations in place to make the environment less intense and more sensory friendly. This includes low level lighting, reduced sound levels and a more relaxed attitude to talking throughout the film and moving around the auditorium. Paid carers come free (ID required). Relaxed screenings will be marked on the website with "RX". Please Note - Our Relaxed Screenings do not have the same number of adverts and trailers as our regular film screenings, please anticipate the film to start at the advertised time.

Subtitled Screenings - Intended for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These screenings feature transcribed text of speech and other sound from the film at the bottom of the screen. No other changes are made to the screening. Subtitled screenings will be marked on the website with "ST".

To find accessible film screenings, head to our "What's On" page on tour website and use the filter for the performance type you're interested in.

Companion/Carer Tickets

A valid Cinema Exhibitors’ Association Card (CEA) will entitle you to one complimentary companion/carer film ticket should you require one for your visit. You can sign up to the CEA card scheme by visiting www.ceacard.co.uk. Please note, CEA cards can only be used to obtain carer tickets to film screenings and not live shows or event cinema performances.

Visual impairment

Assistance dogs are welcome at The Regal in all three auditoria and The 1936. We are happy to provide water bowls if needed. If booking by phone, please inform the box office that you will be bringing an assistance dog, so they can select appropriate seats for you.

For selected films, audio description will be available. Please note we have a limited number of headsets available and these will be provided on a first come first served basis, these can be borrowed from the box office.

For theatrical performances, we are happy to offer touch tours of the set (dependant on current Covid-19 regulations). Please email regal@stowmarket.org to enquire about booking.

Hearing impairment

Hearing loops are available to use at the following locations throughout The Regal:

Box Office (Till 1)

The 1936 (Till point)

All three of our auditoriums (Regal 1, 2 & 3)

To use them customers must switch their hearing aids to the 'T' setting.

Word of Thanks

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Mid Suffolk Disability Forum for their help and advice with regard to the requirements of customers. If you have any constructive comments or suggestions about the venue, please do not hesitate to contact regal@stowmarket.org .