Oriental Institute

Please note: Estates will be reviewing all departments access information via departmental administrators during michealmas 2010. If, in the meantime, you would like to update your information please contact disability@admin.ox.ac.uk. As some of the information is now out of date please use caution when refering to these webpages and contact the department direct for current Access information.

Pusey Lane. Tel. (01865) 278200

Oriental Institute Library Website

The Oriental Institute houses faculty offices, teaching areas and a library. The main entrance is +6 stairs (central handrail) and through a heavy double door from the cobbled Pusey Lane. There is a disabled parking space 20m from the Institute, with further parking available on St Giles'. It is advisable to phone in advance, particularly as you need a staff member to unlock the alternative entrance. This is to the right of the main entrance, which provides ramped access to the basement, via the bike shed. You enter the building by the common room and further internal ramp will give access to the lift, which services all floors. Several doors have been adapted to facilitate disabled access.

In the basement there is a computer room, which is wide enough for wheelchair movement. The lavatories in the basement are not suited to wheelchair access, but there is an adapted disabled lavatory on the first floor accessible by lift.

The ground floor is the level of the main entrance and reception area. The library is on the ground floor and is staffed during open hours. There would be staff that could assist. The library holds mainly lending books and periodicals. The desk heights are within specification with plenty of space to manoeuvre (desk height in all teaching and seminar rooms is 730mm). There is also a photocopier, at height specification. There is an evacuation chair on the first floor.

The first floor is mainly academic offices, but there is one seminar room in which all the furniture is moveable. The second floor has two lecture rooms and one seminar room; these rooms have moveable furniture. The recently constructed third floor houses the administrative offices, academic offices, and the Oxford University Teaching Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. There are three seminar rooms on this floor (two attached to the Centre and one for the use of the Oriental Institute). All are spacious and have space to manoeuvre.

The Oriental Institute has an annexe in a Victorian terrace on St John's Street. Access within this building, which houses one seminar room, is very difficult. However, it would be very easy to rearrange seminars within the main building if required.

The Faculty regularly reviews its provision for students with special requirements, and works closely with the University Disability Co-Ordinator to ensure that all reasonable adjustments are made.