Help with possible disability discrimination

[zenasfuck]

Planning a visit to a local farm attraction on Friday. One of our party requires a carer - no registered career just needs another adult with them to assist with mobility/loo/anxiety.

Every attraction we have visited in the past has accepted blue badge/flat/pip proof and admitted a carer free

The farm we are due to visit on Friday will only admit a carer free if they are a registered carer and can provide proof of Carers allowance

I'm finding this a bit difficult to judge - surely it is discriminatory to the many many people who need assistance yet don't have a registered carer ? Is it right that those then essentially have to pay more ?

I'd like to hear your thoughts and also if anyone can advise on how best to tackle this I'd be grateful

They need proof of Carers allowance

Joke fail .

It probably is discrimination. Unfortunately, the next question is "hat can you do ?" and without access to legal knowledge (and the free time to piss away on it) you're pretty much stumped.

Maybe the court of public opinion ? Twitter, etc ?

I'm not sure that this is discriminatory - from a legal perspective; anyway. They're offering a discount for carers, but it has conditions - some are quite lax and will accept PiP etc; as you've said, and some are more strict and want you to be a registered carer who receives the relevant benefit.

You could call and see if there's any movement; but I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't.

I’m a carer for my disabled daughter, but don’t have a “registration” (WTF is that? Family members don’t have any sort of registration and even professional carers don’t belong to a registered body) and I don’t receive CA as I work part time and earn slightly over the measly threshold

I’d argue the toss and show evidence of her higher rate DLA, and encourage them to review their very restrictive criteria.

Do they actually have a registered career though? The rules are the rules and where would it stop letting people in for free? and if they do need that much care then they should have a registered carer. Tbh farms are about a fiver to get in is it worth stressing about?

Can't they identify as a carer for the day?

@MardyMavis it isn't about the money. It is challenging a discriminatory rule that sees a huge amount of disabled people paying more than others.

Your statement that if they are so disabled then they'll have a carer just proves how much ignorance is about. There are many, many disabled people who would need someone with them in order to access a day out but who aren't designated a registered carer. Plus there are thousands being cared for by family members who can't claim Carers allowance due to income

But MardyMavis I’d like to know what they mean by “registered carer”. There is no such thing, certainly not in my county.

Being in receipt of CA doesn’t convey any sort of “registration”.

I don't think they are discriminating. They're just asking for a proof you need a one to one carer, for them to do "reasonable" adjustment.
I agree it's irritating, but I don't think you can claim that.

I'm a full time carer but I don't get carers allowance so that would be me ruled out.

It does sound excessive. I did get Carer's Allowance for a time when my DS was young, but I found a term time job so earned too much. (Over £400 a month, it gets stopped, whoopy do.) I'm still his carer, but there's no 'register.'

They are required to make reasonable adjustments. So if someone is in a wheelchair, that would probably mean providing someone themselves to push it and the equivalent for someone who cannot access the facilities. This is their responsibility, not yours. I suggest you point this out (google reasonable adjustments for disabilities) and say that you're asking the equality commission to monitor the progress of this case, specifically whether they provide appropriate adjustments or allow you to do so without financially penalising you. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with that.

I care for my disabled Father and find huge disparity around reduced entrance for carers. Some places automatically let me free because I'm pushing his wheelchair and others want to see blue badge (difficult if you leave it in the car to use disabled parking!) Never had anyone dispute he needs a carer or that I'm it but as I work in not entitled to Carers Allowance.

I would say this is discrimination because it places an undue burden of proof and would be tempted to response to a refusal with an enquiry as to which member of their staff would be assisting with toileting care!

The issue is actually not whether the 'carer' can provide proof of being a carer (because they could quite easily be forced to provide a carer themselves provided it was considered reasonable - i.e., pushing a wheelchair rather than providing help with personal care needs). It's whether you can provide proof that the person has a genuine disability.

Ultimately and/or effectively they are charging a visitor for being disabled.

That is discriminatory.

However, if you can't enforce your rights, they're pretty useless ...
Ubi Jus Ibi Remedium and all that ...

No @heartsease68 that isn't the issue. Providing proof of disability isn't a problem but they will only accept proof of being a registered carer

I wonder if they'd charge for an assistance dog ?

Yes I understand that's what they're saying (thanks your appreciation of my helpful info by the way ) but that's not what's significant, from a standpoint of disability discrimination. Which is what you've asked for help with.

I'd give them the benefit of doubt. Perhaps they think they are doing the right thing.

Can you ring before going to clarify what they require. Then take it from there. They sound like a small community set up, not a great big corporation with access to lawyers etc.

Don't go in guns blazing, quoting legislation and saying 'the equality commission will monitor the progress of this case' as they are not.

I'm not ignorant I am my sons registered carer. It's not that hard to apply. They are not discriminating as anyone could try it on. For what it's worth I rarely try and get in anywhere for free especially placed like farms as slot of the money will go towards the upkeep of the animals.

Neshoma Have you ever been in this position yourself? Unfortunately many places do as little as possible to make reasonable adjustments meaningfully until the guys supposed to be making sure they're doing it (the equality commission) take a look. It have found many times that it opens doors that badly needed to be opened and helps the organisation take a fresh look at what the equality commission would actually be seeing, were it monitor the case. In any case, it often makes the problem goes away and when there is a disability, a budget, a child and a weary mother, anything that brings about inclusion and peace of mind quickly is desirable.

And they don't need a lawyer to respond to the equality commission unless they're determined to do something wrong. All they need is to refer to the guidelines they should already be following on reasonable adjustments.

But mardy as your son grows older he may want to visit these places with a different carer (or helping friend) and may not be able to afford to pay for both of them. It really is important that organisations don't make money out of carers. I understand at this point you'd be accompanying him anyway but there are many other situations where a disabled person is doing something on their own and already having to pay a carer for their time. Having to pay for a carer's entrance fee as well could become prohibitively expensive and these organisations have an obligation to take reasonable steps to make their services accessible to everyone.

I’m very disabled, have a large budget from my council to employ carers as I can’t do pretty much anything without help. I also receive higher rate dla mobility & care...

... but I don’t employ ‘registered carers’?!?! What are they? And why must I employ only someone from a small pool of people when it’s already really hard to find the right person for the job anyway?!

I’ve had this before though, at a festival. Disabled children automatically got a free carer ticket no questions asked. Disabled adults were refused any sort of carer discount. When pushed they said I might be able to get a discount but only if my carer could show their qualifications and I gave details of why I needed a carer!

So I decided not to reply to them. Anyone who thinks it’s ok to demand those kind of details and puts themselves in judgement like that are people to avoid like the plague.

I’m happy to provide evidence that I’m disabled in general eg blue badge / dla award.

But I’m not happy to have to share intimate details of what I need help with in my day to day life beyond that.

Nor am I happy to provide bogus ‘registration’ details of my employees, as carers aren’t nurses or doctors, there is no professional registration, and it’s ignorant to pretend that there is, or force me to only employ people with and HND in care or whatever. Ridiculous.

Before I learnt to ‘just say no’ I found myself often forced into having to explain personal and humiliating details about my personal failings as my body deteriorates before I die, to uneducated and nosey strangers who took advantage of their semi official positions to ask prurient questions. Vile. And never again.