The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is keen to ensure that
its services are fully accessible by people with disabilities.
If you are a person with disability we recommend that you contact
us in advance of a visit so that we can advise you further about
access and ensure that records required are available.
If you need to bring a friend or helper to assist you then you
are welcome to do so.
Reader’s ticket
In order to use the archives, you and any friend or helper will have
to be issued with a reader's
ticket. For this you should both bring proof of identity
(photographic identification and proof of current address) on the
day of a visit. Acceptable forms of identification include photographic
driving licence, passport, student matriculation card and national
identity card. For proof of current address acceptable forms include
a recent bank statement, utility bill and insurance documents.
Cloakrooms
All external coats and bags (larger than 20cm x 15cm) must be placed
in lockers, which are available in each building. Lockers operate using
a 1 pound coin, which is refundable.
Buildings
We have two buildings which are open to the public: General Register
House and West Register House. Both buildings have disabled access
though access is generally easier at General Register House.
General Register House
In General Register House, there are two search rooms, the Legal
Search Room and the Historical Search Room both of which are on
the first floor. Access to both search rooms is via the side entrance
on the West side of General Register House, off West Register Street,
where there is a lift available. As this lift is not always switched
on you should ring the bell next to the lift to notify staff of
your arrival. On arrival a member of staff will take you up to the
Historical Search Room on the first floor.
Due to building works at General Register House, we cannot currently
offer any car parking spaces for disabled users. There are two public
disabled parking spaces on West Register Street, or parking is available
at the nearby St James Centre Car Park and on St Andrews Square.
Please contact
us for further information.
West Register House
The design of West Register House does not make it easily accessible
for people with disabilities. Access is at the rear of the building
and follows a circuitous route to the West Search Room situated
on the first floor.
If you need assistance in either building, our staff will help
you.
Services for wheelchair users
All three search rooms offer height-adjustable tables, and both buildings
offer the use of a manual wheelchair if required. Our microfilm readers
are not on height-adjustable tables. If you think you will require
the use of a microfilm reader, contact
us in advance of a visit and we will arrange for a reader
to be moved to an adjustable table.
Services for the hearing impaired
If you have hearing difficulties, we have an induction loop system
in our search rooms and a number of members of staff who are able
to sign.
Services for the sight impaired
Should you need a magnifying glass we will happily provide you with
one on request. If you are using our online resources, the text size
can be enlarged in your browser. We can also adjust the text size
on computers in the search rooms. All our digitised records are available
from computers in the Historical and West Search Rooms and the associated
software allows a user to zoom in and magnify the images. Our microfilm
readers can magnify images between 10-24 times the original film size.
We do not allow guide dogs in the search rooms.
If you require information about our services in large print or
other formats these can be made available on
request.
Emergency procedures
In the event of an emergency, wheelchair users and visitors who have
mobility problems will be taken to a place of safety until the fire
brigade arrives. Contact will be maintained via phone or by a member
of staff (voluntary) staying with any disabled visitors until the
fire brigade arrives.
If you require help leaving the building, contact a member of staff who will
help escort you out of the building.
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