Is this legal?

[elliejjtiny]

We were at a shopping outlet at the w/e with PIL and DH's cousin who has autism, LD's and mild mobility issues (she can walk, quite long distances and ride a bike but is clumsy, couldn't walk in high heels for eg). She is early twenties but about as able as my 5 year old. Our 3 ds's also have SN but not as severe.

There was a roundabout there which the DC's and DH's cousin wanted to go on. There was a sign saying under 3's must be accompanied by an adult and the adult also has to pay to go on. Also under 5's can't go on the horses alone, health and safety etc.

The roundabout attendant is a jobsworth and says dh's cousin can't go on without an adult as she is "handicapped". MIL says she is not as her sn aren't that obvious when you first meet her (well, apart from she is an adult wanting to go on a roundabout) and he is not an ed psych after all. Roundabout attendant says she is and not going on the roundabout unless with an adult. So FIL pays for himself and gets on.

I could understand if she couldn't sit up by herself or was likely to fall off but she wasn't. I have a feeling he could refuse entry to anyone he wanted to but it's still not fair. It was only £1.50 but it's the principle of the thing.

[Parietal]

I don't know about illegal but definitely unfriendly. Might not comply with discrimination laws?

[TheTimeTravellersWife]

Just did a quick google and came across this:
Less favourable treatment (disability related discrimination)

Section 20(1) of the DDA says that a service provider discriminates against a disabled person if for a reason which relates to that person?s disability:

* s/he treats him less favourably than others would be treated to whom that reason does not or would not apply, and
* the treatment cannot be justified.
I think that the jobsworth attendant needs to go on some disability awareness training. What a complete arse! The use of the term "handicapped" shows that he is not really clued up on disability issues as it is a term that can be considered old fashioned at best and offensive at worst.

[Nigel1]

The DDA has been superceeded by the Equality Act 2010.
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents