Accessibility Guidelines

We want to make our activities accessible to as many people as possible. While our courses are designed to be accessible to most people, they do offer a degree of physical and mental challenge. For some people, this may mean that additional equipment, adjustments to our training, and/or levels of supervision will be required for safe participation. For some, the residual risks of injury may still be too great despite the implementation of additional measures, preventing their safe use of the course.

We do have a few minimum requirements to take part under normal circumstances, such as age and height. But to make our activities accessible to as many people as possible, and to avoid disappointment, it is very important you get in touch with us before you make a booking or visit to discuss any special needs you or members of your party may have. With sufficient notice, we will do our best to make amendments to our standard operating procedures and staffing levels to be able to accommodate participants with special needs. The more notice we have, the more able we will be to make amendments – staff rotas are set in advance, for example. Please contact us via hello@theoakwood.com or call on 01372 467132 if you feel you may require additional support.

What do the activities require?

All of our activities require a certain level of physical and mental ability. All participants are given training in the use of safety equipment and systems prior to taking part in the activity. It is vital that all customers are able to understand this training and apply it throughout the activity, especially when not under direct supervision. The reason why this is so important is that failure to follow the safety instructions and advice could result in serious injury or death. Inappropriate or unsafe behaviour can create a risk of serious injury or death, not only to the participant but also to other participants and/or other users. All participants must understand the responsibility they are assuming when taking part in the activity.

Participants are required to interpret a safety briefing, at the end of which all participants are required to understand how to stay safe and the consequences of not following the strict safety rules and advice. There is also varied communication from members of staff throughout the adventure. Participants will need to be able to climb rope bridges, manhandle safety system trolleys, cross obstacles and landing nets at the end of zip wires.

Risk Assessment

Our staff are not medically qualified and not in a position to assess the capacity of participants who may require additional support to undertake the activity. It remains your responsibility to undertake an assessment of the risks involved, prior to participating. While we cannot set out a definitive list of all the conditions that may adversely affect a person's ability to undertake each of our activities safely, we can, however, give broad guidelines based on our experience. We are more than happy to assist you in your assessment and make recommendations, where necessary, when you get in touch. Please note, we may, however, refuse or stop any participants that do not meet our minimum safety requirements.

Guidance on Accessibility

As well as being physically able to participate in the activities, the following impairments may require additional support – these are detailed below:

Deafness: Customers with hearing impairments are able to complete our courses. There is an element of training (the safety brief) that can be communicated using visual aids and simple adjustments. It is important that you let us know you are coming as early as possible in advance, to ensure these are in place. Some groups may like or need to bring signers/translators or hearing companions, for instance large or school groups. We are happy to discuss your requirements, but we do not have in-house translators.
Sight Loss: Sighted participants need to accompany visually-impaired participants to ensure safe connection to the safety system and safe negotiation of the obstacles and activities. The level of this additional sighted support will depend on a number of factors, including the degree of impairment and whether there are any under 16-year-olds in your group. Please contact us to discuss.
Amputees: If you can climb a rope ladder unaided, you should be fine to take part. The security of prosthetics, at height and during zip landings, needs to be considered. With sufficient advance notice, we can make adjustments at site to facilitate safe progress.
Learning mental disabilities: If a participant is unable to remain attentive for the training and then apply what they have learned to the session, then the activity may not be suitable for them. Consideration must be taken for any participants that are under prescribed medication and whether this could affect their conduct on the course.

Contact us in Advance

We will do everything we can to make your day fun and memorable, and with enough notice, we will do our utmost to cater for everyone. The more notice we have, the better we will be able to make adjustments to our system and staffing to be able to accommodate you and your party and arrive at the best possible experience. Ideally, please consult with us before you make your booking, as we may be able to offer more bespoke support in certain booking times on certain days. For example, groups with special needs may prefer to come on less busy days when you will have more time to complete the course without being chased up by other groups coming up behind. No matter how small you think it may be, if you feel you may require additional support, or if you just have a question about any of our activities, our staff will be more than happy to give you advice on the best activity for you and assist further if additional support is required. Please do not hesitate to get in touch: hello@theoakwood.com or 01372 467132

Wheelchair Access

This is something we are currently working on to improve. We have two spaces reserved for disabled parking right outside check-in. You can also drive in and drop off if required – simply let a staff member know so that they can open the barrier for you. Some parts of our site are wheelchair friendly - you are able to access the compound, viewing areas and main clubhouse. The Oakwood clubhouse has a disabled toilet. We are working on improving the non-accessible areas of our site. If you have any specific queries or requirements, we suggest that you contact the team directly on 01372 467132 or by emailing hello@theoakwood.com

Updated September 2023