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Access Policy

Updated May 2025

Vision

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

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.

Types of Access

The National Gallery recognises that there are different ways to improve accessibility for everyone everywhere:

  1. Physical – Provide all visitors with access to the building, making alternative provision where required, within the constraints of a Grade One Listed Building and health and safety regulations. 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.
  2. Sensory – Provide appropriate solutions for those visitors with impaired visual or reading abilities
  3. Intellectual – Deliver a wide range of learning programmes for different audiences, designed to suit differing levels of knowledge, backgrounds, interests, and learning styles.
  4. Cultural - Addressing the needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Interpret the collection in ways which aims to meet a range of visitor needs.
  5. Attitudinal - Creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels included.
  6. Financial - Considering affordability for those on limited incomes.
  7. Logistical – Offering convenient opening hours and event schedules wherever possible.

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.

This policy will be updated in May 2026.

Approved by the Board 22 May 2025