Trinity Hall MCR is here to support students with disabilities in any way we can. We are sure that you will fit into our community and have done and will do everything in our power to make you comfortable. Hopefully, the information on this page will be of help to you, but if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Welfare and Disabilities Officer at mcr-welfare@trinhall.cam.ac.uk.

For support beyond the college level, you can also contact the university’s Disability Resource Centre at disability@admin.cam.ac.uk or visit in person on the ground floor of the Student Services Centre, New Museums Site, CB2 3PT.

General Information

Location: The central site is very close to the city centre, and around 0.1mi to Market Square. It is 0.3mi from the University Library, 0.5mi from the Sidgwick Site, and about 1.5 miles from the West Cambridge site. Wychfield is about 1.2 miles away from the city centre, and roughly the same distance from the university library.
Traffic: Trinity Lane is a small road just off Trinity Street. There is generally little motor traffic, but there are generally bicycles and pedestrians. Beware the two blind corners and fast bicycles. Walking on pavements is difficult, as they are generally uneven, with few dropped kerbs and lots of parked bicycles.
Parking: Parking in the centre of town is generally difficult as space is very restricted. There are a couple of multi-storey carparks and there are several disabled bays located on King’s Parade.

Life in the College

General: 370 undergraduates and 250 postgraduates. Small, friendly College, located on a quiet street near the city centre. Lots of support for students with disabilities, disability issues are discussed by tutors at regular meetings.
Emergency procedures: Advise the Porters’ Lodge if you will need help evacuating in an emergency. The College does have evacuation chairs.

Accommodation

Wheelchair-accessible rooms: All graduate accommodation is located at Wychfield Site. New Build at Wychfield has a number of fully accessible students rooms with adapted ensuite bathrooms and kitchens.
Other rooms: Rooms in Wychfield’s New Build are all ensuite, and some are ground floor.
Live-in assistants and assistance dogs: Two rooms are available at Wychfield with adjoining accommodation suitable for an assistant. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Food

Catering arrangements: The cafeteria serves three meals a day as well as regular formal halls. On Sundays, this is reduced to a brunch and dinner meal. The ground floors of Wychfield staircases have larger kitchens, which can be adapted for wheelchair and other impaired users.
Special diets: Special diets accommodated where possible.

Access

• College grounds: Level access to the main entrance, with a bell at the gate. Level throughout. Front Court has fairly uneven slabbed paving, and cobbles can be avoided. Surfaces further inside are concrete.
• College buildings: Almost all public areas accessible to wheelchair users. Wychfield Site is located outside the centre of town, near Fitzwilliam College.
• Bar: Located below ground level in Central Site, accessible via stairs with a chairlift.
• Cafeteria: Level access. One-way system in place to prevent congestion whilst getting food. Card system for payment.
• Chapel: The smallest Chapel in Oxbridge. Level access, and fixed pew seating. Cosy, but room for a wheelchair.
• Common rooms: The MCR has two entrances – for level access, go through the ‘E’ staircase door and take the glass door on your right.
• Computer facilities: Computer room is upstairs in the library, the only part not accessible by lift. There are two public computers in the ground level MCR. At Wychfield there is a computer room at the top of ‘A’ staircase, which is accessible by lift. All individual rooms are networked and wifi covers the whole college.
• Dining Hall: Level access, directly opposite the Cafeteria. Spacious inside, with long tables and chairs.
• Gardens: Very small gardens on site. Gravel paths and a small level lawn. Two benches overlooking the river.
• Laundry: Ground level and accessible in both New Build and Old Wychfield.
• Library: Level access through a heavy door. Five floors of books, with a lift between floors. Entry by scanning one’s card. Fairly large toilet at ground level.
• Porters’ Lodge: Accessible with level access.
• Out of Hours: The Porters close the main door of Central Site at around midnight every night. A smaller door within the main door can be opened with a Trinity Hall key card but has a small step to get through. If you require level access, please ring the bell and ask a Porter to open the main door.

Visual Impairments

Assistance dogs: Assistance dogs welcome.
Computer facilities: Special software can be acquired, and the College has several computers which can be loaned to students.
Large print, braille and audio: Large print letters and information on request.
Library and magnification equipment: No special facilities for text enlargement. Lighting in the library is good, with individual lights at each desk.
Signs and wayfinding: Clear signage throughout college. The site is small, and wayfinding is not a problem. Lights around college grounds turn on automatically at dusk.

Students with Hearing Impairments

Induction loops: Induction loop installed in all porters’ lodges. Loops can be acquired if needed.
Alarms: Visual or sensory alarms could be acquired if needed.
Little traffic noise, as the College is off the main street. Generally quiet around College.

Noise pollution: Little traffic noise, as the College is off the main street. Generally quiet around College.

Learning Difficulties

The Tutorial Office assists all students with SpLDs, and makes appropriate arrangements in conjunction with the Disability Resource Centre. Exams can be performed in College if required, and counsellors at the college and university level can provide significant assistance – for more information, see the ‘Mental Health’ section.