Accessibility

A RADAR key, also known as a National Key Scheme (NKS) key, is a blue and silver-coloured key that opens more than 10,000 disabled toilets across the UK.

RADAR keys are used by around 400 local authorities to give people with disabilities access to locked accessible toilets.

You can find accessible toilets that need a RADAR key in a variety of UK locations, including train stations, shopping centres, cafes, airports, and supermarkets.

Find RADAR key toilet locations near you by using the Great British Public Toilet Map. Simply go to the filter on the left-hand side of the homepage and filter by 'Radar key'.

To access a toilet with a RADAR lock, you will need a RADAR key. You can get a RADAR key from most local authorities, either for free or at a low cost. You can also buy one online. If you do buy your RADAR key online, you'll find lots of websites that offer them, but they may not be genuine. If you buy an unofficial RADAR key, then you cannot guarantee it will work when you need it. You can buy the official N&C Phlexicare key through Disability Rights UK or the Blue Badge Company.

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple, voluntary tool for people with non-visible disabilities. Wearing the sunflower discreetly lets the people around you know that you may need a little extra help, understanding, or time, without you having to say a word.

Since it launched in 2016, the scheme has been adopted around the world. More than 200 airports and a wide range of businesses, from shops and transport to healthcare, now recognise the sunflower and train their staff to respond with patience and care.

Chinese Autism (CACIC) has partnered with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower (HDS) to create a bilingual HDS × CACIC Sunflower Lanyard, made especially for Chinese-speaking autistic communities.

We see this Collaborative Sunflower Lanyard as a bridge between cultural understanding and global accessibility. It carries a clear message that runs through all of our work, that autism is something to be accepted, not hidden.

For many Chinese families, autism is still surrounded by stigma, and awareness of the Sunflower scheme remains low within UK Chinese communities, even though it could make everyday life easier.

Families tell us about discrimination on buses, in shops, and in restaurants, and for some these challenges are made harder by language barriers and worries around immigration. A bilingual lanyard helps families step out of the door without having to explain their needs each time.

Give to support the Sunflower Lanyard campaign and receive one of our exclusive HDS × CACIC lanyards as a thank you — donate at localgiving.org/fundraising/cacic-sunflowerlanyard.

The physical card acts as a photo ID that can be used to easily communicate your access requirements to events and venues, so that the venues can provide accessibility to the needs of their visitors.

It also works online with other platforms like ticketing systems, to unlock the access facilities you need.

The card shows a photo ID and translates a persons disability or impairment into symbols, effectively highlighting the barriers they face and the reasonable adjustments they might need.

The Access Card app provides you with a personalised directory of venues, with first-class accessibility information to help you plan your trips.

The Access Card is just £15 and lasts for 3 years.

If you would like to submit an application, you can click the application form link below

Access Card Application Form

If you find forms online difficult to complete, you can request a paper application to be sent out in the post or book in for a telephone appointment for one of our team to fill out the form with you.

For both of these alternatives, you can either submit your supporting documentation via email, post or WhatsApp.

To request the paper application or book in for a telephone appointment, give us a call on 0330 808 5108.

Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 10am until 4pm.

There is no automatic entitlement to an Access Card based on a rate of benefit for example. Please see below for guidance on what we can take into account for your application, coupled with a good description of your access requirements

Any supporting evidence you can provide such as:

We work extensively to increase the number of venues where the card is recognised as a means to meet your access requirements.

For some providers, it might give you a discount or a special offer, for others it might be accepted as evidence in order to access a free PA ticket. Others will let you link your card to their booking systems or be able to process your requests over the phone.

You can find details of all of the Providers we work with on our directory and on our map page, and we regularly update our News Page, Facebook, and X.

We also work directly with card holders to report businesses where they have used their Access Card to have their needs met. These providers are listed as 'Named and Famed'

Remember though – the card is a demonstration of your needs and is related to the Equality Act.

All providers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments you need, and the card can help you explain that to them, whether they 'accept it' or not. Failing to acknowledge and respond to your needs may in effect be a breach of equality legislation.

Once you have your Access Card, you can link it to Merlin to get a Ride Access Card; it allows you to visit four theme parks more easily (Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland and Thorpe Park).

You don't need to do another application, but you do need to link your Access Card or ID to Merlin to get a Ride Access Pass.

If you have received your Access Card and have one of the following symbols, you will be able to use their Ride Access Pass system:

Each Ride Access Pass gives access to the Ride Access Pass Holder and up to 3 additional members of the party

During the application, you will be asked a couple of questions to assess if a carer will need to ride with you on rides with complex evacuations

All you need to do is download the app, enter your Access Card/DAP details under the "My Account" section by clicking 'Register'.

Once done, you can book your RAP session within the app for a quicker and easier process.