At Stop the Arms Fair, we try to make our events as accessible as possible. We recognise that different people have different access needs and it’s not always possible to meet people’s needs perfectly but we will do our best. We welcome feedback.

The 2023 week of action to #stopDSEI includes a camp and several days of action at the East Gate of the ExCeL Centre  and near the Crystal at the West Gate of the ExCel Centre.  The information on this page is about these two locations only.  It will be made clear below where there is access information differs between each of these two sites.

The organisers of events taking place in other locations during the week of action should be contacted directly if you have any questions about accessing their event not answered on the individual event page.  Each entry on the programme of events links to either the website or Facebook page of one or more organisers. STAF is here to help bring groups and individuals together.

• Information tent
• Step-free access
• Chairs
• Assistance
• Toilets
• Off-site space
• Transport and parking
• Medical information
• Maps

Information tent

There will be an information to welcome visitors to site on each day of action in both locations with access information, flyers and other information.  Hand sanitiser, disposable face masks, disposable earplugs and a map of the site will be available at the welcome tent on the West Gate.

Step-free access

There is step-free access with dropped kerbs to both the camp and protest site on the East Gate.  The platforms at the nearest DLR station – Prince Regent – are accessible by lift.  Prince Regent DLR station is 0.2 miles from the camp and protest site on the East Gate.  AccessAble has further access information for Prince Regent DLR station.

There will be an accessible toilet available day and night on the East Gate for the duration of the camp Monday 6th to Sunday 12th September.

There is step-free access with dropped kerbs to the protest site on the West Gate.  The platforms at the nearest DLR station – Royal Victoria – are accessible by lift.  Royal Victoria DLR station is 0.3 miles from the protest site on the West Gate.  AccessAble has further access information for Royal Victoria DLR station.

There will be an accessible toilet available on the protest site at the West Gate from 9am to 9pm on Tuesday 14th September.

We will identify parking spaces so that people can drive to both sites if they need to for access reasons.

Chairs

There will be a couple of chairs available on the West Gate on Tuesday 14th September, for anyone who has difficulty standing.

Assistance

We recognise that some people will require assistance to attend the event. We welcome assistance animals and will be happy to provide water for them. King George V Park is nearby if you wish to take the animal to a green space.

Toilets

There will be an accessible and gender-neutral toilet available day and night on the East Gate for the duration of the camp Monday 6th to Sunday 12th September.

There will be an accessible and gender-neutral toilet available on the protest site at the West Gate from 9am to 9pm on Tuesday 14th September.

Off-site space

Needing to go off-site makes a lot of sense. If you want to get a cup of tea, a bowl of soup and to have a sit down, you can head to the Garden Community Cafe. The cafe is usually open 8.30 – 3.30 pm Monday – Saturday.

On the West Gate, the café at the Crystal is open until 5pm each day, and other local cafes and restaurants are nearby.

Transport and parking

Public transport

You can access the ExCel Centre on the DLR.

• Prince Regent station has a lift, a step of between 0-50mm between the train and the platform, and a gap of 0-85mm between train and platform.
• Royal Victoria station has a lift, a step of between 0-50mm between the train and the platform, and a gap of 0-85mm between train and platform.

There are also bus routes, including those to Ilford, Stratford, Canning Town, East Ham and North Woolwich, and a night bus to Trafalgar Square.

Drop Off and Parking

There is parking in the local area for a small daily charge so that people who are coming by car, van or minibus can park. We can also recommend drop-off locations. Please contact resistDSEI@protonmail.com for more details.

D/deaf attendees

Unfortunately because of the nature of the space we are unable to provide a hearing loop.

If you require a note taker and wish to attend the actions, please contact resistDSEI@protonmail.com and we will do our best to meet your needs.

Neurodiversity

We understand that large demonstrations can present challenges for some people.

If you want to get a cup of tea, some food and a sit down on a sofa, away from the action, you can head to the Garden Community Cafe. This may not be a quiet space, but will have fewer people and be away from the action.

There will be a small stock of disposable earplugs in the info tent on the West Gate. Please feel free to take a pair if this would help you.

Useful medical information

The nearest pharmacy is Day Lewis (19 Freemasons Road, London E16 3AR), a 0.6 mile or 12 minute walk from where the information tent will be set up at the East Gate. It is open 8.30 – 6.30 weekdays, 9 am-1 pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday. Walking directions are here.

The nearest Walk-In Centre is at Newham University Hospital (Glen Road, Plaistow, London E13 8SL) which is 2 miles from the East Gate. It is open 8 am – 11 pm every day. The nearest A & E is also located here. Driving directions are here.

Maps of the site

If you would like to tour the area online, we recommend you use Google StreetView or Google 3D.  A map of the site will be available at the welcome tent on the West Gate.