Mine is in a corner, so the back and right side are both against the wall. (DH thought it ought to be away from the wall, "so the quilt can hang off the side." I explained quilting physics to him.)
I've only needed to access the back once. I hit a pin and the needle wouldn't go up. There is a wheel on the back, like the wheel on the side of a sewing machine, to raise the needle manually.