How far there is still to go....

Airwave!
Airwave! Member Posts: 2,468
edited 17. Apr 2011, 17:28 in Living with Arthritis archive
I took the grey and ancient to a concert last night, I realised how far we still have to go to look after and give disadvantaged people a change in thought to level them with others.

The disabled car park places were all taken so we ended up on high (£7.50p!), still got too few lifts to get us down. Not all the doors are self opening, trying to support someone through an get through a sprung loaded door is not easy.

The general crush on the way out, lifts all busy, corridors at a standstill, nobodies fault perhaps, but more work to do with new buildings?

What I noted was that virtually all the wheelchair users were last in and first out, missing the last song or two.

The present buildings will be around for a long while, changing them would cost a fortune so it will be a long long while till things change.

Comments

  • jillyb1
    jillyb1 Member Posts: 1,725
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sorry to hear your concert experience left a lot to be desired . I am a wheelchair user and often go to the theatre and to concerts and never have cause to complain here in Brighton . There are always good wheel sections ; even in the older venues which were not built with this in mind , maybe we're just fortunate in our cosmopolitan city ! Jillyb
  • toptottie10
    toptottie10 Member Posts: 35
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I agree some places still have a long way to go, I have to speak as I find I use a wheelchair and visit The Symphony Hall in Birmingham and they are fantastic, there customer service and disabled facilities are brilliant,I have passed this on to their Managment. I have also visited The Alexandra theatre in Birmingham and although they have limited disabled facilities they bend over backwards to help, they have access through the stage door and a ramp inside to access the designated wheelchair area.
    I had a horrendous visit to BHS one christmas due to there lack of consideration while displaying the christmas stock. I complained to head office because I was so distressed that I came home in tears, I had the standard letter and gift voucher, I felt insulted to be fobbed of with the letter and voucher, why can't they make the improvements when displaying stock.
    I think it valuable to pass on both negative and positive feedback, this I do in the vain hope that those that don't make the grade will make improvements.
    XXX Sally XXX
  • Airwave!
    Airwave! Member Posts: 2,468
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    This was the BIC in Bournemouth, I'm not sure it was anybodies fault, my parents are not 'robust', the BIC has facilities, I suppose I was more upset than them, they didn't expect anything else.

    I find that unless your are 'disabled' to a greater degree, then you are regarded as 'abled' and have to move as such, which is not possible.

    It is to this end that our thinking needs a change.
  • speedalong
    speedalong Member Posts: 3,315
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I find that unless your are 'disabled' to a greater degree, then you are regarded as 'abled' and have to move as such, which is not possible.
    Airwave, this is SO true.

    Speedy
    I have had OA since mid twenties. It affects my hips and knees. I had a THR on the left aged 30 and now have a resurface-replacement on the right - done May 2010.
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi, I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience. I suppose that old buildings are a challange to change for disabled, and with the current money problems the arts have, its lucky that we still have theatres! No excusses for building built in the last 50 years or so, they should have been planned to cope with all users. Hope you enjoyed the evening, though dispite the problems. Love Suexxx

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