With being a below knee amputee and in a wheelchair with
many other health issues, the first thing I do before going anywhere new is
check the website for help, carers discounts, disabled facilities and access
points.
Why?
Because unlike before where me and my husband or family could
just go out somewhere if we wanted too, these days it’s like planning a
military operation. I need to be prepared and find out what to expect when I
get there. Is it accessible to wheelchairs? If its not then that pretty much
rules it out for us, does it have disabled toilets? Is there a lift? Is everything
easy to get too from a wheelchair? Will my wheelchair fit through the doors? If
going on my own are the doors automatic or will I struggle to manage them?
These are things that before I never had to worry about or even give a second
thought to.
The other thing I look for is discount or free carers
tickets. Now I know that a lot of people have took advantage of these schemes.
And still do! which makes it really difficult for those like myself who need
this help to be believed without jumping through hoops and I know a few people
who think it’s unfair that just because am disabled I get “ preferential
treatment”.
So why do I look for carers tickets or disabled discount?
Simple. If am going somewhere that the fee or ticket is for
a seat reservation or the ticket price includes this then it is useless to me –
I bring my own with me. If I can’t access half the event or venue or business
because you have not catered for wheelchairs or people with mobility problems
or half the shop/ event is on an upper level and the organisers have booked a
venue that can’t or doesn’t have a lift, then why should I pay the same as
people who can access that? Or what if your services or some of your services
are not accessible by myself? Is it fair I pay full price and not receive the
same as everyone else? Is any of that fair?
The other reason is sometimes, just sometimes I do like to
go out without my husband (who is my full time carer) and go out with friends (yes,
I do have a few who still bother with me and want to socialise and be seen with
someone in a wheelchair and don’t mind checking places out before booking or
going out.) It’s amazing how many friends and family drop you because you
become disabled and an inconvenience…but that’s a blog for another day…Any way
back to this blog. So what if I want to go out with a friend or own my own but
need someone to go with me to help and they don’t want/like/or into what I am? Is
it fair that they have to pay full price to accompany me because I need the
help? Or worse again what if am paying for a carer or helper to accompany me
should I have to pay twice as much as everyone their as am not only paying for
my carer to accompany me but then having to pay for them into the event etc.
This is just one of the reasons why carer’s discounts and
tickets are important. The other reason is if you have a family member who is
your carer and they can’t work the money they get for working over a 40 hour
week most of the time is less than the living wage. Is that fair?
To be honest and fair most places these days either have
free or discounted tickets and /or are accessible. Examples are wheelchair
spaces on trains ( as you don’t use
seat), carers tickets for showmasters for entrance but still paying full
price for autographs and photo shoots, cinema card where your carer gets a free
ticket. However there are still places that don’t see the need to make either
the accommodations/access or the discount available. Conventions where they
will not give out a carer’s ticket and if you register as a carer you cannot
have photo shoots or autographs or the only other choice is to fork out over
£1000 for a PA for the weekend on top of my ticket!
So let’s say you have checked the website, there is nothing
saying it is accessible or (this ones my fav) they say it is disabled friendly and
you arrive to find that either half of it is not accessible/ the disabled
toilets are upstairs and there Is no lift/ the whole building is accessible as
long as you can get up the front steps or you either can’t see a damn thing i.e.
concert or the upstairs part of the venue is only accessible by a stair lift
and once up there is no room for your wheelchair. Not to mention how do you get
your wheelchair up there any way if you are on your own or even better, if you can’t
stand up, have no legs but can’t transfer on and off the stair lift!!
So you see, in my opinion and am sure am not the only one,
companies need to start really looking at how they operate and improving a few
things and why:
1. Free or
discounted tickets, we shouldn’t be charged twice to get half the show or event
or get the same benefits that others get.
2. If you
are saying you are disabled friendly then check that you actually are, think
about how it would affect you if you were in a wheelchair and what would help
3. For events
and shows make sure as much as you can that it is accessible to everyone that
includes people in wheelchairs, with other disabilities and people with prams.
I get that it is not always possible or that the venue or building is listed or
there is another good reason why they can’t be disabled access or lifts, but
try to limit the effect it will have on the person’s enjoyment. Have a special
viewing area, have staff available to help etc.
4. Put information
up on your website. I am pretty sure I can’t be the only one who has to pre
plan everywhere I go.
5. Get an
expert in to do a full review of the business, event or venue. It’s one thing
to say you understand how certain things will effect someone, but unless you
have actually experienced it you don’t.
Finally never underestimate how it can make someone who is disabled
or who is in a wheelchair feel when they can’t access something and they have
to ask for assistance because it is not available and they are looked down on
with pity and told “am sorry, we can’t accommodate wheelchairs “or you try to compromise
and it becomes a farce and the disabled persons dignity has been shot to
ribbons or they are made to feel that they are an inconvenience or their
business is not wanted.
My favourite pastime is going in shops and trying to get
through the displays, or look at clothes or even navigate to the till to end up
knocking things on the floor or looking like a rolling clothes rack! Even
better is when the staff ignore you because they haven’t been trained how to
handle these things, stare at you and not offer help, walk away or tut. Great
way to make sure I won’t shop there again.
So business owners and event organisers we need the help
and discounts because you may not be aware but you are losing a lot of
potential customers and revenue. To the moaners and the “it’s not fair” people
would you put up with this kind of treatment? Would you pay more for less and
be happy about it? I think not.
