Is this discrimination from Wembley Stadium?

[pieandmashliquornotgravy]

Background - my DD needs a wheelchair if more than a few minutes walking. My 12 year old DGD wants to go to Summertime Ball. DGD would not be able to push wheelchair for any sort of distance, so I would need to go too.

Tickets on sale yesterday. My DD was on hold for 90 minutes yesterday for disabled access tickets. When she finally got through she was told she could only have one extra seat with wheelchair seat.

Able bodied people can buy up to 6 tickets. Wheelchair users 2.

This means a person needing a wheelchair can never take her children to this family event.

Is this discrimination or are we expecting too much?

I think it's discrimination. They should have the same allowances for all customers. If it means the venue has to sell fewer tickets to allow more space for the same number of accessible spaces then so be it. It's the 21st century, businesses need to catch the fuck up and plan appropriately.

@TempusEedjit one person who wants to go is disabled but also her able bodied 12 year old daughter wants to go. 12 year old cannot be a carer so they cannot get tickets.

On this pagr is the link to contact the Disability Liason Officer... it also says that all stewards are trained in assisting with disabled visitors.

www.wembleystadium.com/TheStadium/StadiumGuide/DisabledAccess

Yes your DD wants to go with her DD, who could not have otherwise been considered for a ticket anyway. If your DD wanted to go for herself then she could go with her own friend, something which the Arena is catering for. Would you rather a wheelchair using child who wants to see the event and never had an option to try for regular tickets like your DGD did misses out because additional able-bodied people are taking up spaces?

I think there should be some type of flexibility. My DD wants to go and share the experience with her DD. If she took a friend she would not be doing that.

Could you take them as far as the door and then the stewards take over?

It's a crap rule because it basically stops a disabled person seeing an event with a child, or indeed any friend who is unable to act as carer. If able bodied people can buy six tickets then disabled people should be able to.

Or are disabled people not meant to have friends, only carers?

Yes but your DGD would not have been able to go anyway as the event was sold out. its unfortunate but somebody somewhere has to lose out. So should it be your DGD who could have got regular tickets but couldn't, like the many other people who would also have tried for those tickets? Or should it be a wheelchair user who actually wants to see the event themselves and who never has the option of a regular ticket?

Like I say, I do get it, I missed out on a lot as a kid because of my dad's disability. But you are assuming the venue won't help your DD. It appears they have people who can assist as per confused's link? So whilst you can't go as a three they are making adequate provision it would seem?

Would you rather a wheelchair using child who wants to see the event and never had an option to try for regular tickets like your DGD did misses out because additional able-bodied people are taking up spaces?

Stop with the emotional blackmail - there are other alternatives that the stadium could implement to allow disabled people and friends to go together.

I think there needs to be flexibility exercised when a person with a disability wants to attend an event with their own child. A disability should not prevent someone from spending quality time with their children; I suspect that there are many occasions where it does and I am surprised Wembley are not making every effort to rectify this situation, or offer you some alternatives. You do not want a child sitting alone in a big stadium event - that would be awful.

Would it be possible for the carer to enter the stadium and then leave again?

Of course it's not fair, all she wants to do is go for a treat with her child, this is something other people take for granted, we have similar issues, my son needs a disabled seat, the rest of our fsmily doesnt, it mesns in most cases we will never get to go out together as a family again to an event because we cannot sit together, due to limiting how many people can go with the disabled person.
My son is only six, he has 2 older siblings, so we end up having to simultaneously try and purchase 2 sets of tickets for the same event with one adult with each, we are rarely ever successful.

should the disabled mother never want to have a special day with there child ever again? Take her to a concert or theatre!

I can't see anywhere on that link that specifically says stewards will take on a personal assistant role during events - it says they are there to assist visitors with specific examples being help at turnstiles and directing and assisting to lifts in the event of a fire.

Thank you @OohAahBird you have described perfectly what I am trying to say.

chased it was not my intention to say anything that could be construed as emotional blackmail so sorry if it came across that way.

I agree with everything in principle but it appears that this is a very popular event and the venue have made the decision to limit numbers in this case to enable ss many people as possible to attend. It sounds like the DD could go with her DGD as there will be assistance available at the venue. Just the OP can't also go on this occasion.

Venues need to catch on to the fact that these days disabled people have....ooh you know, children and families and a group of friends (shock horror). Yes access is better than it was but it's not perfect.

DH and me and DS(12) recently went to see a band at Manchester Academy, who actually have a really good access policy and very helpful staff. But they were a bit fazed by having to allow two able bodied people with me and I got the distinct impression they were bending the rules. DH was told he'd have to leave the viewing area if too many disabled people came and it got too full. Okay fair enough, but it would have impacted on our enjoyment. Able bodied people wouldn't be happy to be separated from their families or mates but we have to suck it up and be grateful.

It seems a bit odd.

We recently bought a disabled ticket for my father, the carer was free. We also bought tickets for my two DS's who were seated behind. It can be done, if they can be arsed.

This wasn't Wembley but football stadium

I was told not to compare venues, but if other venues can do it then it seems there's a problem somewhere as it's feasible.

Moose I posted that link because it had the direct person there to get in contact with... However if you look more deeply there are several list realted to what facilities there are in the Stadium:

•The outer concourse area and ramps are smooth surfaces (tarmac and block work) for ease of access.
•Wembley Stadium is proving to be the ultimate matchday experience for visually impaired football fans thanks to an exclusive 90-minute commentary service. Read a review on TheFA.com.
•All information desks and kiosks, bars and points of sale have induction loop facilities.
•There are over twenty lifts and thirty sets of escalators in the new Stadium. Dedicated, accessible lifts are sized for two wheelchair users, personal assistants and an attendant. In the event of an evacuation fire shaft lifts will continue to operate and stewards will direct and assist spectators to their nearest lift.
•There are accessible lifts at the entrance points of the Stadium serving all levels.
•There are a number of Wembley Stadium wheelchairs available for loan. If you require a wheelchair, please go to one of the information desks on Level 1 Map or Level 5.
•There are 147 accessible toilets within the Stadium. Access to these toilets will be controlled by use of a RADAR key (if you require a key please go to the information desk or ask a steward).
•There are seven ATM machines located around the Stadium, all at accessible height.
•At each kiosk there is an accessible queue point and counter space are available for wheelchair users. Signage, tactile and visual indicators within the Stadium are provided where appropriate.
•All stewards will be trained in assisting disabled visitors. One of the modules on our steward training programme is dedicated to assisting disabled visitors.
•Each wheelchair platform will have a dedicated steward to provide assistance where required. Accessible public telephones are located on all public concourses. There are ten information desks distributed across Levels 1, 2 and 5.

The situation is a bit pants... But I am just trying to help OP make the situation manageable with stuff like Electronic Wheelchairs etc. Also I work in security and I work with several people who do stewarding at events such as this and they are more than happy to help with pushing wheelchair using guests for children etc.

I am sure the Diability Liason person will be able to arrange as much help as possible but until OP contacts them she will not know.

I too think this needs to be addressed. I'm similar to your daughter, in that I can walk short distances but I get worse over the day and need a wheelchair for distances and at the end of the day.

Luckily (or not) I don't have DC, but even so it means that I can't go with a group of friends or family. I'd love to be part of the group, but for events wheelchair users are always sectioned off and are only allowed 1 person with them. It sucks, and not just for me, as DP feels horrible if he doesn't stay with me, but is also then missing out on the group activity too. I've started just staying home with a 'headache' or similar so DP can go and enjoy the events.

IMO there is no reason that they couldn't scrap the wheelchair area, make the main seating area accessible and have extra wide aisles so that wheelchairs can be 'parked' on the ends of any row.

They should be getting better at this, but some venues don't.

We went to a show 8 weeks ago at a place who really are on the ball. They keep the row in front of the disabled area (its high with plenty lifts) off public sale until the last minute which means when you phone you can book one disabled person (they have seats for ambulance disabled too), one carer and up to 4 people in the row in front so that a disabled person can be part of a group of 6 like any other booker.

They brought that in after a lady who has 3 children, 1 in a wheelchair, pointed out to them that she couldn't ever take her kids to an event because she's a single parent with no family help. She couldn't book 2 seats for her other kids and risk them being miles away.

Ambulant disabled. Not ambulance.

@confusedat23 Sorry, I was more commenting on the post(s) following yours that said the stadium appeared to provide assistance alluding that the personal carer was not needed... I was just trying to point out that the stadium's view of assistance and the role of a personal assistant are very different. I think the link itself is very useful! Apologies if it came across as though I was having a go at you - that wasn't my intention at all.

After having conversations on fb messenger I have now contacted them via the link provided.

My daughter was told to try next year but a, that's not much use now and b, if policies are the same it still seems pointless.

The disabled areas at football grounds are usually pitch level, great for football but for concerts would be useless because of the standing on the pitch area directly in front. Health and safety and fire procedures would be problematic at stall levels. Then there is the corporate and VIP areas they will not be going anywhere soon.

It may not be fair but it's fairer than letting the first 2 disabled people who call up buy 6 spaces each hence filling up the disabled section with potentially 2 disabled people and 10 able bodied family and friends . This sort of thing happens everywhere and unfortunately it has to be like this . For example at Disney Paris you are only allowed the disabled person and 1 other in the disabled areas for the parades , yes it's annoying but at least it enables all the disabled people to see . Btw I am the daughter of a wheelchair user and also the mother of someone who is sometimes in a wheelchair so these issues do affect me.