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Access Policy

National Gallery Access Policy

Our vision is to bring people and paintings together, making the nation’s Gallery accessible for everyone everywhere.

Updated May 2024

Overarching aims

  • Deliver more public benefit by continuing to increase access to and enjoyment of the National Gallery’s collections.
  • Ensure that free entry to the permanent collections continues to be made available.
  • Use digital technologies to bring the Gallery’s collection to audiences nationally and internationally that are unable to visit the Gallery’s home in Trafalgar Square.
  • Continue to improve our welcome to all and ensure that our facilities make this possible.
  • Provide information in formats that are accessible to all visitors.
  • Align to the Gallery audience strategy.
  • Deliver an action plan to improve the physical, sensory, and intellectual access to the Gallery collection, information about collection and access to the Gallery.

Access to the Gallery’s buildings

Ensure all the National Gallery spaces are accessible and inclusive where people can be themselves, feel represented and welcomed, fulfil their potential and connect fully with paintings and the stories they tell.

  • Ensure all the National Gallery spaces are accessible and inclusive where people can be themselves, feel represented and welcomed, fulfil their potential and connect fully with paintings and the stories they tell.
  • Provide all visitors with access to the building, making alternative provision where required, within the constraints of a Grade I Listed Building and health and safety regulations.
  • Ensure that building projects plan to provide physical access facilities for all visitors.
  • Consider the needs of all visitors in our safety procedures. All occupants of the building will be evacuated at the same time in an emergency.

Activities for all

  • Plan and deliver public activities to ensure that they are accessible and ensure a balance between care of collections and provision of access.
  • Deliver a wide range of learning programmes for different audiences, designed to suit differing levels of knowledge, backgrounds, interests, and learning styles.
  • Interpret the collection in ways which aims to meet a range of visitor needs.
  • Ensure digital presentations of our collection and resources are accessible both onsite and offsite.
  • Continue to consult people with disabilities, specialist organisations, and other museums and galleries, on the best ways of improving intellectual access.

Responsibilities and accountabilities

  • As a service provider and equal opportunities employer, the Gallery complies with the Public Sector Equality Duty and Equalities Act 2010 and The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
  • The Executive leadership of the National Gallery retains overall responsibility and accountability for this policy, including its communication and promotion.
  • Ensure that equality and diversity awareness form an integral part of induction and ongoing training for all our people.
  • It is the Gallery’s responsibility to ensure that all staff and contractors are aware of our access policy and the part they can play in putting it into practice.
  • The National Gallery EDI Committee aims to embed equality, diversity and inclusion across the National Gallery, and champion EDI with its partners and across the sector, supported by data, insight, and feedback.
  • The National Gallery Access Group meets regularly to discuss improvements to the Gallery's provision and to agree upon recommendations including from visitor feedback, access audits and assessments for further action. Recommendations from the Group are approved by and implemented through the Executive Committee, and, where appropriate, by the Trustees.

NG200 capital project

The Gallery’s capability to create a welcome suitable for a world class institution, is currently restricted by existing facilities. We are addressing this through a series of capital works (NG200) over two phases to be completed by 2028. These works will:

  • Transform our Gallery providing a superb welcome experience by reconfiguring the Sainsbury Wing entrance, foyer, and café areas, creating a level access and be a more welcoming and inclusive space for all.
  • Include the installation of a Changing Place and an accessible toilet on ground floor of Sainsbury Wing and the reintroduction of a Changing Place in the Centre for Creative Learning.
  • Include improved visual contrast of interior spaces.
  • Celebrate the Gallery’s historic setting by reimagining the public realm outside the Sainsbury Wing, creating a new public space with a widened entrance area and integrated security checks.
  • Improve our visitors’ experience by upgrading a host of amenities including new digital external signage and better toilet provision, with an emphasis on sustainability, accessibility, comfort, and wellbeing.
  • Open our collection to a broader and more diverse demographic and communicate better with harder-to-reach groups in London, the UK and beyond.
  • Transform our Education Centre into a Centre for Creative Learning for families and community groups, school children and adult learners.

During this period our ability to accommodate all access needs may on occasion be compromised until our new facilities become available. We are doing everything we can to continue to welcome all during this time.

This policy will be updated May 2025.