Festival not allowing chairs!! As a pregnant woman do they have to let me?

[Jenwal2]

So, I bought tickets to one day of a festival before getting pregnant. I'm 16 weeks and still planning to go and wasn't expecting any problem, but now they have said you can't take chairs in. I have the beginning of SPD (caused by an earlier pregnancy) and am struggling with standing for any length of time and sitting on the floor is painful/uncomfortable. I was just planning to take a chair. They have only just released rules in the last few days, which say no chairs and there is absolutely no way to contact them. Do I have any rights? Do I just argue it when I get there? What happens if they say leave your chair or don't come in?

[stilllearnin]

DP and DS say come to Strawberry Fair this weekend - we will put the kettle on and/or carry you round in an ornate chair, like royalty from yesteryear.

[stilllearnin]

Signora has it! Although they do sound pretty arsey. I think Go and have fun.

[avocadotoast]

They sound like dicks. I'd be asking for a refund tbh.

I went to a gig when I was about 30 weeks pregnant and the venue couldn't have been more helpful. I emailed ahead to ask if they had seating (not expecting special treatment or anything) and they let us sit in this little VIP bit. They didn't have to at all but it was such a nice thing to do.

[BowiesJumper]

I'm for the chairs at Cambridge as otherwise my parents wouldn't be able to go (they can't sit on the ground or stand for that long) but we're always based well back, never near the actual tent/stage. If chairs were suddenly banned then they'd have to get refunds on their tickets.

Loads of festivals ban chairs though and I can see how annoying they are. But I'm not sure what the solution is in your situation!

[Myricales]

Cambridge Folk Festival is run by the local council, and is as accessible as you like. That you can't plonk a chair in the middle of a standing area is not failure to make reasonable adjustments, any more than the fact that you can't get a wheelchair between the rows of seats at the new Wembley is. In each case, designated areas for people with restricted mobility are perfectly acceptable in law as reasonable adjustment, especially as the seating and wheelchair and crutches and stuff area at Cambridge are the best seats in the house (stage left, just in front of the desk, and last year with their own private mix to their own private speakers).

[ethelb]

I don't know how protected you are as a pregnant woman, but that is pretty disability inaccessible which is illegal.

[Luckystar82]

Festival chairs at the Cambridge Folk Festival have been an issue for years! People are either in the pro-chair camp or anti-chair camp. What annoys me most is people putting chairs in a circle with a massive space in the centre for their bags and cool boxes. When space is at a premium it really is taking the piss!

I accidentally stood on someone's blanket and got tutted at. Um excuse me, but your ticket does not entitle you to 2 square meters of space when lots of people want to get into the tent to hear the musicians they've paid to see and dance. If you're not sitting on that part of the blanket then you can't stop someone treading on it!!

Sorry OP but I am pregnant too and am not going to the Folk Festival this year due to not wanting to sit on the floor. I advise you get a refund as it is probably not a good idea for you to go.

[ArcheryAnnie]

And it's "reasonable accommodation" which is specified, not "rearranging the entire festival". The OP taking a chair, or borrowing one while there, I would suggest counts as reasonable.

[ArcheryAnnie]

What do you plan to do if they ask to see your disability badge?

You don't need a fucking badge to use a wheelchair, ffs.

OP has a temporary disability if she has SPD. (I had SPD and it kept me near-housebound for almost a year.) She is bloody entitled to use the disabled facilities, and if they are funny about allowing her to make "reasonable accommodation" to manage it while she attends their public event, they are breaking the Equalities Act 2010.

[goodnessgraciousgouda]

I honestly cannot believe people are saying to go in a wheelchair.

What do you plan to do if they ask to see your disability badge?

You have - in your own words - the beginning of SPD. That is absolutely no justification to pretend that you have an actual disability, and is frankly a huge insult to people who genuinely need wheelchairs, you know, in order to move. Yes, the festival people are being wankers, but unless you can prove that you are physically incapable of standing, then they aren't obliged to give you allowances.

You can take a chair, or stool and risk it being confiscated. You can make a decision about whether or not you are physically comfortable to go to the festival bearing in mind the rules, and either work with the rules (soft cushions, etc) or, you can decide not to go.

What you most likely COULD do, is get a full refund for your ticket if these rules were not established at the time of point of sale.

People are throwing around the equality act as if it's some kind of free for all that has to take all inconveniences, whether temporary or not, into account. My sister has epilepsy - she can ask festival organisers in advance if there will be strobe lighting, but she can't stamp her foot and demand she gets to be whisked off backstage when it's in use, or demand that it isn't used at all.

[YonicScrewdriver]

I assume when your friend went to reading, there was still space in the wheelchair area.

OP, it would be worth asking on FB if you could convert your ticket to access the wheelchair area. Otherwise you may be unlucky, unfortunately.

[Nannynome]

Can I suggest taking it to Twitter and tagging whichever music style journos into it. I had a similar issue with a gig venue and it blew up fairly rapidly into an apology and a seat due to it having been someone lower down the chain not working to guidelines. If it is their first year they really won't want any bad press and should be accommodating you considering the situation.

[YonicScrewdriver]

They can't discriminate against her but if they have a wheelchair area and it is full, what can they do?

I have been to various events with a certain number of wheelchair tickets - once they are sold out, then it isn't possible for any more people in wheelchairs to be admitted. This has meant I can't take my mum.

[Cherryblossomsinspring]

They must have wheelchair access, go in a wheelchair!

I'd be reluctant to make a big issue out of this. If you want to go then go, see how the spd is, sit on the grass and if you are too uncomfortable, head home early. You booked something that's not suitable for pregnant women with discomfort before getting pregnant, I think it's your loss (and massive gain with the pregnancy! ) if you now can't make it.

Or you could try and sell your ticket?

[ColdCottage]

I doubt a security guard would have any idea what the deflated ball was. Would probably think it was a rain jacket.

[YonicScrewdriver]

F the venue is already providing a ticketed wheelchair area then it is likely they'd argue that was reasonable adjustment.

[YonicScrewdriver]

If there is a bag search for security then the ball and pump might be confiscated. If not, someone may complain about OP if she is blocking their view.

[Greenrememberedhills]

Look at s 29. 7 of the EA. it does mention making reasonable adjustments. So it's a question of whether that would count as one.

[ColdCottage]

Oh and take a letter from your GP stating your inability to stand for long periods or sit on the ground. Plus have the disability discrimination act on a shortcut on your phone.

[ColdCottage]

I found sitting on an exercise helped me at work. You could just pump this up when inside. About £5 from TKmax or a bit more from any sports shop.
Rubber ring if space is an issue, though collapsed ball only about lunch box size

[ColdCottage]

I found sitting on an exercise helped me at work. You could just pump this up when inside. About £5 from TKmax or a bit more from any sports shop.
Rubber ring if space is an issue, though collapsed ball only about lunch box size

[YonicScrewdriver]

Cactus, disabled facilities may mean wheelchair area rather than loos.

[Floralnomad]

I would imagine they have a specific area for disabled people who need to sit down / use wheel chairs and that's how they deal with any equality issues .