CEA cards and cinema visits

[NYfairytale]

We go to cinemas literally once or maybe twice a year. Tomorrow dd wants to see Wicked. As we are coming with a wheelchair and usually we get a free carer ticket i wanted to double check what I need to bring to qualify. All the cinemas around us asking for CEA card. They don't mention blue badge, PIP or any other proofs we used in the past.

What is this? A CEA card is £6, takes 1 week to arrive and we may or more likely may not use it again in the next 12 months before it expires. Feel like it is just another money making scheme on the back of disabled people. We usually go to theatres and they just need me to bring my normal documents. <frustrated>

They have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments so that your DD can see a film, regardless of whether you spend £6 on yet another piece of evidence!

Take proof of your carer status and tell them on arrival that your DD needs a carer to accompany her. Show them this quote from the CEA website if they disagree...

I have one it's great usually make the cost back in one visit.
But agree feels another tax on disabled. I assume it's to stop misuse (I've seen many attractions clamping down on 'just using pip form' because it's being misused).

I use one of these cards, and it has been fantastic value for me. I do tend to go to the cinema a lot though. I don't view it as a disabled tax at all. If I did not get a carer ticket, it would drastically limit the amount of films I could get to see.

My son has PA'S that take him out. They often go to the cinema and I book before they go. I always book a free carer via cea card (you enter the number when booking) and they take it with them. They have never been asked to see the cea card.

He is also supported 2:1 and the pa's have said I should only book for one ticket if they book when they get there as they use their carers ID. I won't risk this though incase the film is full or somebody doesn't allow it etc.

I'd take proof of carers, pip/dla etc (they prob won't even ask if she's in her wheelchair) and just book the tickets there.

I like the cea card for booking in advance but get fed up of all the different requirements for different places. Cea card/ access card/ merlin access card/ ticketmaster aac number/ atg register.....

If you're going to a vue cinema you can have my sky tickets for December as we won't be using them. It's two free standard seats.

Thank you, unfortunately we don't have vue nearby.

Thank you Capy, I think I will print your quote. Hopefully they will be ok 🤨

I'd call them, just in case there aren't 2 seats left together tomorrow when you get there. Cinemas are packed near ours this week.

All the different cards 😬😬😬

We've got an access card but beyond that I just can't deal with more and more. Fact is, the bloody government (via the DWP and a DLA award) have decided that my child needs extra care and that should be good enough for everywhere else. I've got the access card because it avoids having to show random staff our DLA award letter etc, but I just think venues should get their shit together and all accept the same card! That's meant to be the whole point of the access card FFS.

Also venues have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments even if you don't have the exact card they've arbitrarily decided they want to see.

It's fab even if you attend to nice a year you save definitely worth it

@CapybarasAreJustGuineaBigs we live near Manchester and they've opened a new arena (coop live). I tried to get him tickets for something there (there weren't any suitable so didn't in the end). I had to email them, send various documents to register for their scheme, register with ticketmaster for an aac number (emailed all the same documents inc access card) then if i wanted to book for him email back with the pic of his access card (they'd already had) and his ticketmaster details. It was ridiculous.