Success Story - Cricket Club
The Issue:
Client had booked tickets to a concert at a Cricket Club, for herself and her two young children. Client has severe mobility issues which sometimes require the use of a wheelchair.
The Cricket Club operates an open ticket policy for the concert. However, this open ticket policy puts the client at a substantial disadvantage, because if all the seats at the top of the stands are taken the client will not be able to access the venue as she simply cannot walk down a lot of stairs.
She had contacted the service provider via e-mail telling them of her mobility problems but they had responded saying that they could not reserve seating and that she should just get there early to try and get an appropriate seat. The Cricket Club does have wheelchair bays but their policy only allows one carer to join them in this bay.
This situation had caused the client a lot of stress; if she does not get there in time to get an appropriate seat for her and her children it is very likely the client would have to leave the cricket ground because she physically cannot walk down the stairs.
EASS Advice & Support:
The EASS initially advised the client to write to the club reminding them of their duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that those with a disability can fully access their services.
However, when the EASS conducted a call-back as part of our casework procedure the client had not received a response.
We then wrote to the service provider on her behalf. In the letter we identified the disadvantage the client was at, reminded the service provider of their duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled individuals and suggested possible adjustments they could make for the client.
Within two days of the letter being sent we received a call from the Cricket Club, apologising for the stress the situation had caused the client and offering the client a choice of adjustments. The options were that the client could either reserve her seats at the top of the stands so she doesn’t have to walk down any stairs or reserve a wheelchair bay and make the reasonable adjustment whereby her two children can join her. The Club asked if we could communicate with the client so that she could make her arrangements. We advised that this is part of the service and we would communicate this to the client.