Accessibility

Read on to find out about our accessibility information, resources and facilities

Accessibility

DIG is a hands-on archaeological adventure giving kids the chance to become trainee archaeologists and discover the most exciting artefacts from 2000 years of York’s history! With four special in-door excavation pits, all based on real-life archaeological digs in the city. Filled with replica Roman, Viking, Medieval and Victorian finds, children can grab a trowel and explore how people lived in these times. DIG is a very adaptable, tactile learning environment and warmly welcomes all disabled visitors. Tours run every half an hour and last for about an hour.

For any adults wanting to visit DIG, we offer DIG Deeper – a tour created especially for adults offering an in-depth look at the archaeological process. Please book on the last tour of the day.

View our PDF Access Guide (PDF, 17 MB)

View our the Word version of Access Guide (.docx, 23MB)

 

At a Glance

There is level access to the entrance and throughout the building. There is a lift to the first floor and an accessible toilet. All staff have disability awareness and Autism Awareness training whilst some staff have BSL training.

Glass doors have contrast markings. We have interpretation available in level 1 Braille translation and in large print. Visual stories are available to download on our website and we have paper copies at our front desk. 

We have a complimentary ticket policy for carers and personal assistants, and all tickets are valid for one year, allowing as many returns and re-entries as you like. Seating is available throughout the building, and we have sensory packs for you to use at our front desk.

Sensory information: Due to the nature of the building, DIG can get very loud. We are in a converted medieval church with lots of open space and hard surfaces so noise travels and echoes a lot, especially if we have multiple school groups. We do have a small number of ear defenders available and subject to availability, we also have a quiet space if you get overwhelmed. Our garden is always available for you to take a breather too. Inside of term time, afternoons after 3pm tend to be quieter as well as most weekends, especially in the morning. Outside of term time, Sunday mornings tend to be our quietest time. If you want to schedule a visit for a quieter time, contact our reservations team at groups@yorkat.co.uk and they’ll be able to find a time that suits you.

Getting Here

St Saviour’s Church
St Saviourgate
York
YO1 8NN

Travel by public transport

You can get to DIG: An Archaeological Adventure by bus and train.

Bus

The nearest bus stop is a string of stops around the corner along Stonebow. York First buses, Coastliner, and CityZap all have stops along there. The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from DIG: An Archaeological Adventure.

Train

The nearest train station is York Rail Station. The train station is 0.8 miles / 1.3 km from DIG: An Archaeological Adventure. York is on the East Coast main line between London and Scotland. It takes less than two hours to get to York from London. Trains run every half an hour, with at least 25 direct trains each week day.
 
Direct rail services also run to York from many of the UK’s main regional centres. York can be reached easily from all the following centres: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Liverpool. There are direct trains to and from Manchester International Airport that run every hour during the day.

Travel by taxi

The nearest drop off point for taxis is the taxi rank along St Saviourgate – right outside the attraction. There is level access from the pavement and a slight ramp from street level. 

You can get a taxi with Streamline by calling 01904 656565. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Parking

There is no on-site parking at DIG. The nearest car park is the Foss Bank car park, just a 7-minute walk (0.3 mi) away. The car park has 4 dedicated disabled parking bays.

You can find out more information about it here: https://www.york.gov.uk/directory-record/405/foss-bank-car-park-yo31-7pl 

Customer Care

We work to welcome all disabled people to our sites through a variety of training, feedback, and sector-led research. We are always keen to improve our offer, so if you have any suggestions, please email us at access@yorkat.co.uk 

Breastfeeding is welcome at all our sites, and we have a rocking chair in our Little Diggers area available for breastfeeding parents.

Accessibility equipment

We provide the following accessibility equipment free of charge to visitors:

  • A folding wheelchair
  • Folding chairs
  • Ear defenders
  • Large print guides
  • Visual stories
  • Sensory packs containing various tactile and visual items, including fidget/fiddle objects

We have an area to charge mobility scooters and battery powered wheelchairs.

We also operate a traffic light sticker system at all our attractions:

  • Red sticker = please do not approach me
  • Yellow sticker = please answer my questions but let me approach first
  • Green sticker = please approach and speak to me

You can pick up the sticker colour of your choice at the front desk.

Service Animals

Service animals are very welcome. We have had some service animals in the past that have been confused by the soil in our dig sites – subject to how busy we are, we can let you visit the dig sites before joining a tour to let your service animal become accustomed to this.

We have a water bowl at the admissions desk for them to use.

Service animals may toilet in the garden area – please avoid near the picnic tables. There is a stony area near the gate that is preferred for animals to use.

Emergency evacuation procedures

DIG is located inside a Grade II* listed medieval church and has a very open floor plan. In case of an emergency, staff are trained to help everyone evacuate quickly and efficiently, and have been given specific training to help disabled visitors evacuate.

Staff Training & Awards

All staff receive the following training:

  • Welcome Host Plus
  • Disability Awareness
  • Blue Assist
  • Autism Awareness
  • Dementia Friends
  • Sight Loss Awareness Training (from MySight York)
  • Sighted Guide training (from MySight York)
  • Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard scheme

Some staff have also received BSL training, and we are working to increase the number of staff with this training.

We also take part in the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) run by VisitEngland.

All DIG tours are fully guided by a staff member and therefore are naturally tailored to suit the needs of the group. Our tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable in accessibility and are working constantly on making DIG as inclusive and accessible as possible.

We have been recognised for our work in accessibility and won the following awards:

  • Autism Friendly Award (National Autistic Society) – 2019, 2021
  • Bronze for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism (White Rose Awards) – 2019
  • Accessible and Inclusive Tourism (Visit York Awards) – 2020
  • Silver for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism (White Rose Awards) – 2020

We have also been shortlisted for other awards:

  • Accessible and Inclusive Tourism (Yorkshire Tourism Awards) – 2020, 2021, 2022

DIG is a designated Safe Space.

Sensory Information

DIG is a very hands-on experience with an emphasis on tactile learning. 

Due to the nature of the building, the sensory environment of DIG can vary widely depending on how busy we are. We are in a converted medieval church with lots of open space and hard surfaces, so noise travels and echoes a lot. If we have multiple school groups in or it is during school holidays, the building can be very loud and overwhelming. 

During school holidays, the classroom is available as a quiet space if you need it. We also have a small number of ear defenders. Our garden is always available for you to take a breather too.

Our quietest times are Sundays, especially during the morning, and most afternoons during the week after 3pm. You can always contact our Reservations team at groups@yorkat.co.uk or 01904 615505 to determine the best time for your visit.

All tickets are valid for 12 months, so you can also leave and return at another time if you need to at no additional cost.