advice please

xnataliexrx

I am unable to buy tickets for a major UK music festival as I have been told by the organisors that disabled access tickets have sold out. Standard access tickets are still freely available. Does this qualify as disability discrimination as I am being treated less favorably than an able bodied patron?

keep_calm_and_carry_on_2

Why do you think you're being treated less favourably? The ticket you want is sold out. Would you think it "less favourable" if standard tickets were sold out and they refused to sell a disabled access ticket to an able-bodied person?

kingfisherblue

No, you are not being treated less favourably. They had tickets and have sold out. just as they might sell out of the cheapest seats, or the front row seats. They have allocated tickets for disabled access but you didn't mange to purchase any before they were sold out.


Depending on the nature of the disability, is it possible to sit in standard seats? The reason I ask is that when I took my son to see the Lion King at the Manchester Opera House, they were very helpful. My son is a wheelchair user, but can walk short distances. They arranged for us to sit in seats that were two steps down. I took my son as far as possible in his wheelchair, then the staff took the chair and stored it during the performance. Later, they came back with the wheelchair. A member of staff was allocated to look after us (I also had my elderly mum with us - she can't manage stairs easily). We were very well looked after, but although my son is disabled, we managed in ordinary seats, thanks to the help of the staff there.


I hope this helps.

MsCasey

No, you should have been quicker at buying tickets.

xnataliexrx

Keep calm and carry on - Thankyou for your comment. I would expect that out of 80,000 tickets, more than a handful would be available for disabled patrons.

Kingfisher Blue - Thankyou for your comment. It is not an 'theatre' or 'arena' venue. It is a 5 day music festival and standard tickets are not an option.

MsCasey - Thankyou for your comment. It was not possible to purchase tickets sooner as we were awaiting medical reports and a date for surgery.

Errata

More than a handful? What do you class as a 'handful' and do you actually know how many were available at the beginning?

Indie_Kid

You have no way of knowing how many disabled people purchased the disabled tickets. There hasn't been any discrimination here.

rogerblack

Indie_Kid wrote: »

You have no way of knowing how many disabled people purchased the disabled tickets. There hasn't been any discrimination here.

You have no way of knowing that.
If I had last year 200 applications for tickets, and 40 for disabled people, and I only had 120 spaces, then allocating this years tickets so that I had half the disabled and half the non-disabled people turned away would clearly not be discrimination.

Somewhat less than this, as disabled people 'cost' more resources might be reasonable in some limited cases, but allocating 3, and then just saying 'there is no discrimination because there are disabled tickets available' is quite likely to be discrimination. (under the terms of the equalities act).

Without more information there is no way to know, though disabled tickets selling out very early would be an indication that it might not be as simple as 'you could have bought them'.
-

xnataliexrx

Errata - thankyou for your comment. Looking at the available site map and information freely available, and comparing the areas designated for standard ticket holders and that set aside for disabled patron, 'a handful' whilst not very accurate is, in my opinion, a good guidline.

Indie Kid - Thankyou for your comment. You are correct. I have no way of knowing how many disabled people purchased disabled tickets.

Rogerblack - Thankyou for your comment. It was most helpful.

Errata

xnataliexrx wrote: »

Errata - thankyou for your comment. Looking at the available site map and information freely available, and comparing the areas designated for standard ticket holders and that set aside for disabled patron, 'a handful' whilst not very accurate is, in my opinion, a good guidline.

Indie Kid - Thankyou for your comment. You are correct. I have no way of knowing how many disabled people purchased disabled tickets.

Rogerblack - Thankyou for your comment. It was most helpful.

"A handful" is meaningless as it may mean too few to some and too many for others. The number of disabled tickets available will have been the result of the discussion and agreement between those organising this 5 day major UK musical festival and the local authority who licence it.