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Post by nick on Mar 20, 2024 17:04:28 GMT
Menier Chocolate Factory barely compliant with the Equality Act. They are free of ACE so their choice. Miserable policy. How is the Equalities Act relevant ? Disabled access? Toilets and auditorium are not very wheelchair friendly I seem to remember. |
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Post by Jan on Mar 20, 2024 18:35:30 GMT
How is the Equalities Act relevant ? Disabled access? Toilets and auditorium are not very wheelchair friendly I seem to remember. The Equalities Act doesn't apply to any audience facilities or any requirements placed on the audience such as no latecomers being admitted. |
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Post by nick on Mar 20, 2024 19:12:34 GMT
Disabled access? Toilets and auditorium are not very wheelchair friendly I seem to remember. The Equalities Act doesn't apply to any audience facilities or any requirements placed on the audience such as no latecomers being admitted. Ah well, shows what I know. Edit. Actually you’re wrong. The equality act section 3 covers service and public functions and includes access for those with disabilities. Double edit. Ah but is that only public services? Oh it’s confusing and I give up. |
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Post by aspieandy on Mar 21, 2024 5:46:59 GMT
Barely compliant with the Equality Act. They are free of ACE so their choice. Miserable policy. How is the Equalities Act relevant ? The Equality Act 2010 requires 'reasonable adjustments' for people with disabilities. In this way, disabled people may enjoy access to the arts in a way approx. to non-disabled.
Sure, that does mean wheelchair access (with or without a carer) and accompanying facilities (like toilets and ingress/egress). However, perhaps only 10% of disabled people require a wheelchair.
Overwhelmingly, for disabled people, the most significant barrier (to the arts) is financial. Figures vary but around 50% of disabled are in the workforce, that might be part-time, it is almost certainly low paid, and short-term (in between bouts of longer unemployment).
I, for example, have never not been on the lowest pay grade in 40-years (no private pension, and no property). I have had dozens of jobs, only one longer than a year or so. It is a very frustrating life. Many feel terribly isolated.
So the best/only way for venues to make the required reasonable adjustment (for a disabled customer who does not require a wheelchair), is to make a financial adjustment. With suitable proof supplied, organisations like ATG and Del Mac do that. Elsewhere, different venues have their own ways to comply with the law. And some don't - and that is illegal. As you might imagine, any organisation with ACE funding knows the score (compliance will be detailed in their application).
What constitutes 'reasonable' varies as between organisations.
Taking one popular, small WE-located theatre as an example, they just did not understand the law (believing they had satisfied the law by offering wheelchair spaces + carer comes free). When I first approached them they stonewalled but, a year later, they listened and now they have a pretty neat way of applying a reasonable adjustment to people on their disability scheme 
This venue - the Menier - is very close to the top of my personal sh!t list, but I only have so much energy for battles with bureaucracy and fixed minds. I'm not sure what they do at this venue is 'reasonable', and I would certainly argue it is mean and possibly demeaning.
I have tried to include all the useful keywords here in case anyone wants to explore further with Mr Google.
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Post by aspieandy on Apr 9, 2024 13:49:36 GMT
I don't want to bang on about this but maybe this can help anyone who thinks disability equals wheelchair, as is still the case at a surprising number of London theatre venues. At those venues, this guy would be denied the legal right of a reasonable adjustment.
I'd accept that, to a degree, what is and isn't reasonable is subjective. By any standard, I believe what this venue does is not reasonable, and therefore not legal: |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 16, 2024 10:10:24 GMT
I’ve moved this out of the show specific thread it was in (Power of Sail at the Menier) because it raises points which may attract wider discussion.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2024 11:41:43 GMT
theatres will do the audio described, subtitled and the signed performances for visually impaired and deaf/hard of hearing people. I've been to several performances of shows which happened to be a signed performance and its always interesting to glance over and see the signage for specific words or phrases.
A lot of theatres have tried to be inclusive with people who are on the spectrum and even do pre show visits so people can visit the venue beforehand to get an idea of it and the layout. Do some even have sensory rooms?
I think there needs to be more available seats for people with limited mobility who may not be in a wheelchair but may use sticks. frames. walkers etc and may need a bit more space or not be able to keep getting up in a tight row.
Ticket reductions for people with disabilities on benefits or lower incomes should be included in other discounts like for students/OAPs etc.
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Post by happysooz2 on Apr 17, 2024 19:59:19 GMT
We were at the relaxed performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe recently. First time I had ever been to one. They did an intro at the start, reiterated that moving around was encouraged and said there was a sensory space in the foyer if anyone was over-stimulated. All good stuff. Interestingly, the group who seemed to be making the most of the relaxed performance was a family with a babe-in-arms who yelled and screamed through-out. We weren’t close to them, but I was very tempted to go to the sensory space myself because of the screaming. It was a bit much.
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