A Nice Story About The National Trust and Disability

[PavlovtheCat]

For a change, a positive experience. I do love a little bit of NT

[PavlovtheCat]

It's always a good idea to provide a link, rather than relying on telepathy...
it is!

[Sirzy]

That's fantastic!

Your point about legoland rang true for me too so it's great to hear of places who don't take the Spanish Inquisition approach.

[PavlovtheCat]

wow you read it quickly. Thanks for positive feedback! Legoland's attitude really upset me. Not really for me, but on behalf of those with children or adults with special needs who don't want, and should not have to share their very personal medical information with an leisure company just to enjoy a day out without their carer having to pay full price, and their disability access for many rides is shocking, despite them saying they don't provide fast track for most disabilities because the rides are mostly accessible (they've obviously not tried to get a wheelchair through the zigzag queues.

I did consider writing a blog about it, but I am trying to make my blog a little sunnier than it has been

National Trust have got it closest to right I think.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Pavlov, I'm sorry your back is still so bad. Can't it be fixed?

[Sirzy]

Yes it did make legoland harder.

Strangely though last week we went to legoland discovery at Manchester and their attitude was the complete opposite and they couldn't do enough to help DS. I got a merlin pass when their and wasn't even asked for proof of DLA to get the free carer pass - although the flapping child in a special needs buggy could well have been a hint that i was genuine!

[PavlovtheCat]

viva alas, it's a long term problem now not fixable, but surgery has improved things. Had a laminectomy in January this year, took me from not walking pretty much at all to walking like an old person physio did say that I can have improvements for a long while yet, so has another back pain sufferer, so maybe I will keep improving. But it's here to stay for the most part now. It's ok! It won't kill me!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Pavlov I'm getting a page not found?

[PavlovtheCat]

sirzy that's much better, good to hear they are not all bad experiences. It's the last thing someone with children who don't want like queuing at the best of times needs, to stand in a queue and spend ages having to prove that they can't stand in a queue!

I'm hoping to write more positive posts about good experiences/fun things or that people with special needs of any kind find particularly enjoyable to do, so any more positive experiences are welcome.

Feel free to give me some bad ones. I can't have my blog being too sunny, as it's just not me

[PavlovtheCat]

I had that too when I posted the first time, then it came back again. I'll re-do the link...

[PavlovtheCat]

it is again! should work now...

[PavlovtheCat]

oh, and if anyone finds any spelling, grammar etc errors, please tell me. I've just spotted a couple re-reading myself as although I can proofread well, I can't do it on my own work!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

For some reason that link is not working for me either .

I have read your piece though, and I think you write very well

[PavlovtheCat]

I write far too much, use too many words when I can use less, and I'm quite boring really! But, it's how I write and I can't seem to cut it down! That post was originally 1100 words, reduced to 850 or so I remember reading that blogs should ideally be about 600 words. Ha! not ever gonna happen.

[PavlovtheCat]

But, thank you though itsallgoingtobefine it's a lovely thing to say

[Devilishpyjamas]

You've been luckier than me with some of those sites! Very grumpy (with ds1) volunteer at cotehele & previously had problems with carer's admission at Saltram. Almost had a stand up row at lydford

I don't think they're as geared up for learning disablities unfortunately.

[Devilishpyjamas]

Although they were good at Powis castle - a recent visit.

[PavlovtheCat]

Actually, the only miserable person I met was at Saltram. She didn't make any fuss, but she certainly didn't smile. or seem to like children.

Such a shame you have had bad experiences I would mention it to them in feedback, as I have spoken with some of the volunteers and they really are keen to make it disabled friendly, so they would welcome feedback I am sure.

You need to try Lanhydrock then, as I have been lots and never had a bad experience there. Not been to Lydford Gorge since having mobility issues, maybe I'll give it a while

[Devilishpyjamas]

And (I didn't know this) you can just get parking membership now, which is pretty reasonable.

[Devilishpyjamas]

You need to be a Mountain goat for lydford gorge although the castle is reasonably accessible (& free!) & a good place for kids to run around.

[D0G]

I love Lanhydrock, sounds like you live fairly close to me. Your back problem sounds awful. I have had a little experience of being in a wheel chair and my mum is also disabled and access can be so difficult it's lovely to go somewhere that really makes things as easy as they can be.

[PavlovtheCat]

Oh can you devil? that's useful to know, not so much for me as I go into the grounds most times as it's not ever as heaving as the external grounds of most places, but a few friends would benefit from it.

D0G I am on 'the other side' of Brunel... my DS split his lip (badly) at Lanhydrock a while ago playing on the adventure stuff (his own fault, took his shoes off, not his socks), and the staff were fab there too, i carried him in (NOT a great idea) with blood pouring out of his mouth, they got him ice, a bottle of water from the counter (actually a member of the public did, who was also awesome at calming me and DS down, but they didn't charge for it), gave us some privacy in a section of the cafe for the first aider to look at him , and I asked them if they could offer a coffee/cake to the man who helped us, went to give them some money to pay, and they said 'it's on the house' and they sorted it. Just felt they couldn't do enough to help.

[Tidypidy]

I've only recently discovered the carers ticket. DS1 is Type 1 diabetic and receives DLA. I had no idea I could accompany him free as a carer. We've had no issues with entry in Cardiff Castle, Folly Farm, Stourhead amongst others. I was concerned if I would be believed as Type 1 is invisible. We see a free pass as a small compensation for everything he puts up with! Just wish we'd known sooner!

[Sirzy]

Tidy good to know about folly farm as we are going down that way next year and that is on our to do list. Do you know you can get free carer entry into all merlin attractions? (Although as has been shown here some are better than others!)

[PavlovtheCat]

tidy If you are not sure about being believed, you can apply for the access pass and then you just have to show it. It's in his name, not yours, so he can take anyone as a carer if he is going with someone else. It saves that fear of not being believed, which I still get now even though I waddle like an elderly duck

[PavlovtheCat]

It would be really useful if Merlin did a similar thing to NT with the Access pass. Even if you have to provide evidence, you can just do it once, then get a card so you don't have the explanations/proof every time you visit.