Disability Discrimination 8 June at 3:54PM edited 8 June at 3:54PM in Disability Money Matters 17 replies 1.2K views

ANNOYED1

I am counted as disabled under the equality act.
I want to know if you need to prove disability to have reasonable adjustments made. This adjustment cost nothing to the service provider.
With the long queues at the shops I can't stand in them due to my disability so I tell the door staff this and most of the time they let me go ahead of the queue.
On some occasions I have been asked to provide disability ID. They always ask for blue badge. I have one and its in the car which I cannot go and get as I will get a fine if the traffic warden comes. 

On one occasion I was waiting in the normal queue outside as it was only a small queue and when I get to the front the door staff ask me if I can let the person behind me go in front because they are older than me. The person behind me didn't ask to go ahead of me. I tell him I am disabled and no I wont let them go ahead of me. He never asked other people in the queue before I got to the front, there was a mix of ages in the queue. He then asked me for ID to prove I am disabled and when I said are you going to ask the person behind me for ID he says no. I tell him it discrimination and he continues to argue with me. An elderly woman comes to the front of the queue and he was going to let her in ahead of me. I was so angry I walked past the door staff and into the shop. This is age discrimination at the very least and I think disability discrimination as he knew I was disabled. 

Shops don't ask to prove your disabled to use an instore mobility aid or the disabled toilets so can they ask to prove disability to go ahead of the queue. There are no policies at the store which state disabled people can go ahead, so i doubt non disabled people would be saying to the door staff they are disabled to let them queue jump.

Thanks for any help.

Nannytone

Make a photocopy of your blue badge and you will have proof with you all the time

50Twuncle

Or a copy of your DLA / PIP paperwork ......

Spoonie_Turtle

The thing is, there are lots of invisible disabilities that make queuing difficult, and they're not all to do with mobility. Not all of them would necessarily result in a Blue Badge or a benefit award either (they might make life difficult but not quite score enough points, for instance). I don't know the legal position of needing to prove one's disability but I would be inclined to suggest taking it up with the shop manager, pointing out that this kind of harassment is absolutely not the way to be treating anybody, let alone someone who already finds it difficult to do the shopping.

deannatrois

I have a lot of problems with long queues.  After ten minutes of standing I am in quite severe pain.., so I don't queue, I go to other shops that tend to not have long queues.  Its one way of dealing with it. Regardless of my disabilities, if I see someone who is elderly behind me, I always ask them if they want to go first regardless.  Its called kindness and consideration. 

Shopping is a nightmare now, I get a lot of pain and stress, nearly to breaking point (autism, arthritis, cataracts, asthma - not a nice combination) but I'd still let an obviously elderly/infirm person go first. I am saddened by how coronavirus has shown how selfish and inconsiderate we are as a society, much more than I thought. 

I don't drive either, have to manage with public transport regardless of how walking effects me.  You just have to deal with it.

TripleH

Did they know you have a disability and can you prove they did? If it is not obvious you are disabled, it is hard to prove you were discriminated against. 
I'm sorry you are having such a hard time deannatrois, I have to say we are lucky in that we don't have to queue for a long time where I live (city centre) but I have noticed people in supermarkets are making less effort to keep a distance,.

KxMx

I'm finding supermarket queuing and shopping very difficult now, as I'm having to walk there and back as well to the nearest one. 

We have delivery about once a fortnight so that cuts the number of times I need to go somewhere. 

I don't need to ask store staff to go ahead of everyone but do need to keep my place in the queue, so haven't offered for anyone to go ahead of me. 

Call me selfish if that's the impression you get. 

Queuing is just a fact of life now. Fully expecting to queue for every shop when I go into town centre next week, will need a taxi home for sure! 

cantcope

I'm sorry you felt discriminated against. However, it was a request by the person not a demand that you let the person behind go ahead of you. If it was a small queue as you stated i don't see that it would have hurt for you to let them go before you though without making a fuss and walk past them. You just made yourself angry, probably embarrassed the person behind you and made the staff member feel crap for trying to do the right thing. Just because you have a disability does not make you more entitled. Adjustments can be made but you've said yourself the queue was small. 
I too struggle to queue. So if i think i will struggle as the queue is too long i go home. I have small camping chairs in my car which i could use if i desperately needed something from the shop but i also have walking aids so this would help me. 
Definitely take a photocopy of your badge or take a picture on your phone of the photo side for if there is a next time. 
I have a little card from the MS society too that asks for help for the loo/a seat/something else. Perhaps you could get something similar for your disability?

Waggle_Dancer

So sorry for the OP. I was just about to post a very similar query. How is everyone managing the shop queues? Has anyone ever used an Access Card? Please be aware that no-one has the right to ask you what your disability is. None of their business.
I can only stand for about five minutes, even with my stick or leaning on a trolley. I can manage a short walk to the shops but standing still for long is impossible. I'm not a youngster but I'm not in the elderly bracket either. I would say that most disabilities are hidden unless you are in a wheelchair or have an assistance dog. I also need a helper with me in case I have a seizure but have been told at the door of some stores that we had to queue and shop independent of each other due to the one person/one trolley rule. Of course we paired up as soon as we got in the store but it's a bit humiliating to be singled out in a queue full of people outside. 

Spoonie_Turtle

I personally have keyring cards from Stickman Communications for awkward situations - the humour tends to make people relax but the message gets across. They have a double-sided one for queuing, either asking to go ahead or asking to keep your place while you leave the line (e.g. to sit somewhere), whichever is most appropriate.
https://stickmancommunications.co.uk/product/wait-in-line-card/
There are lots about all sorts of things, but especially invisible disabilities and fatigue and pain.

ANNOYED1

Hi thanks for the replies
They did know i was disabled as i told them and the door staff made it a situation when it shouldn't have been one.
I have complained to head office and waiting for a reply. 
I had no problems with another branch of the same shop. The queue was huge and i couldn't stand in the queue and told the door staff and they let me go in.
Some door staff are just rude ive had some question me as why i am parked in the disabled spaces.
Ive had private ticket wardens pounce on my car for not displaying a blue badge when ive just parked up and gone to shop mobility to get a scooter and to get the parking permit to display in the car. This was before i had a blue badge. As you can use a shop mobility permit to display in the car. This car parked is free to use but they once pounce on disabled cars.