Archives for June 2019

Accessibility – Catalan Dragons

June 30, 2019 Leave a Comment

Saturday 22nd June 2019 Catalan Dragons v Hull FC Stade Gilbert Brutus

Guest writer Brian Sylvester

After many years avoiding the trip to France my children bought me a holiday in Spain to coincide with the fixture for my 60th birthday.

We left a cold England on the Friday from Birmingham Airport and flew into Barcelona Airport arriving early evening. We had no problems being reacquainted with my wheelchair and were soon on our transfer bus to Lloret De Mar.

We arrived in Lloret just an hour later and were dropped off at our hotel. The first thing we noticed with Lloret was it appeared to have become Lloret De Hull as whichever way you looked Black and White was the obvious colour to be seen in.

Check in was swift and we were soon in our room.

Saturday dawned, bright and very warm and we were soon on our way to find our coach departure point. Now I say coach departure point it was more like a bus station as coach after coach, seventeen in total, pulled up outside the hotel, picked up their passengers and were soon heading to Perpignan.

Congratulations must go to Lisa Jewitt, who organised this mammoth operation and raised money for the Life for a Kidcharity in Hull.

Now the journey was a familiar story for Hull FC fans used to crossing the M62 on a Friday night, yes there was an accident blocking the road near the border with France and as if by magic there were roadworks on the French border crossing delaying the coaches by nearly an hour. Despite the holdups we arrived in Perpignan early afternoon.

The coach dropped us close to the Castle square and this was packed with happy Hull fans, not only enjoying the weather but most seemed to be participating in the odd glass or three of the local brew. I appreciate that the French must be used to Rugby League supporters but this felt like an invasion.

Old Faithful and other battle cries were soon reverberating around the old castle walls.

After meeting back at the buses, we made the ten-minute journey to the Stade Gilbert Brutus. From about half way there it became obvious that Hull fans were out in abundance many walking to the ground.

We were dropped off opposite the swimming pool and we made our way to the ticket office to meet a friend who had got tickets for us.

The road was closed but sadly so was the footpath as the local TV company had parked a wagon on the path. It was a steep drop to the road; the French don’t appear to offer ramps for wheelchairs to cross roads. We met up with Tony and proceeded to the entrance.

Even over an hour before kick off there were long queues to gain entry. The French authorities were searching everyone who entered the stadium, causing the long wait. Fortunately, they spotted the wheelchair and fast tracked us through a side gate.

After the trouble France has experienced over the last few years I fully appreciate and understand the security checks.

Our tickets were for the stand down the main stand side of the ground (Tribune Bonzoms) and was thrilled to find there was a ramp up to the disabled seating.

Despite the tickets being numbered it was a sit anywhere in the disabled area.

We were soon joined by another family of Hull fans, and I should note here that Catalan provided the wheelchair user with two complimentary tickets, so her parents could sit with her, well done Catalan Dragons.

As kick off time approached a Catalan supporter arrived in an electric wheelchair and did his best to intimidate the young lady Hull fan in the wheelchair next to us. He made it perfectly clear he wanted to sit there. Fortunately, he eventually moved three seats down but still was giving us evil looks.

Before kick-off I went to the toilet. On entry I noticed the disabled toilet was right at the front, which was handy as the floor inside the main section was flooded.

Despite this they looked clean. The disabled toilet door was not radar key and was difficult to open as it had obviously swelled in the heat.

On entry I noticed there was no toilet seat and the toilet itself was very low, my daughter informed me the same was true of the Ladies facilities as well, this made it difficult for me to use. I must note here that there was at least toilet paper something our hotel back in Lloret seemed unable to provide.

The toilet bowl was clean but again the floor was wet. On returning to my place we purchased food, to do this you had to purchase tokens before going to the counters, a bit laborious but typically French. I paid five euro (£4.49) for a hot dog that was magnificent. Four six-inch sausages in a crusty French stick, probably the best hot dog in Super League and that is from a hot dog expert lol.

The view from the Tribune was brilliant, it was raised but there were railings in front obscuring the view of the near touch line. The screen was situated to our right, but the sun made it difficult to see.

A nice touch was they thanked the travelling support for covering 1665 kilometres to support the team on the screen.

The game kicked off and the atmosphere was superb, if slightly intimidating as we seemed to be the only six Hull supporters in the stand. Our friend ,not, spent most of the game facing the stand or glaring at us as we celebrated in style our victory.

The other French disabled fan left a few minutes early and shook our hands warmly and wished us well on our travels, proper rugby league support.

When the other fan left he just stuck his nose up at us as we said au revoir to him, rather tongue in cheek.

At the end of the game it was nice that quite a number of Catalan supporters came down and shook our hands and complemented Hull on their performance.

Just goes to show how it only takes one bad apple to try and spoil the day. Hull fans, it was estimated that there were over 2000 in the ground, sang happily as they left the ground and once again the buses were parked on the main street ,in number order and we were soon on our way back to Lloret, tired, happy and just a little bit suntanned.

In conclusion I now regret the years I didn’t attend the game, overall it was a great experience and despite minor problems for wheelchair users I would recommend anyone to make the trip, if only for the hot dog.

In summary for accessibility Brian has scored 7 out of 10, the area around the stadium was difficult to manoeuvre due to the lack of drop kerbs and the disabled toilet didn’t have radar key access or swing both ways.

Thank you Brian for your valuable insight of your trip to Perpignan.

Please share, comments welcome.

Blue Badge Scheme

June 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

Another controversial topic I have decided to cover this week is the new rulings for the Blue Badge Scheme.

As of the June 15 2019 People with hidden disabilities will soon be able to access Blue Badge parking permits, thanks to the rollout of new guidance .

For drivers or passengers with dementia, anxiety disorders or reduced mobility, the anticipation of travel difficulties such as finding a parking space can build on top of the stress of the journey itself.

The new guidance, which represents the biggest change to the scheme since the 1970s, will offer a lifeline to people who often find road travel difficult by providing better access to work and other amenities. It will also help combat loneliness by enabling them to stay connected to family and friends.

The expanded scheme coincides with the launch of a new task force to toughen up enforcement and help councils tackle fraudulent use of the badges.

I have a blue badge which I applied to my local council for who where very understanding at the time of my need for one.

The purpose for me is so I can get close to where I am going if there is a chance I can walk and if I am in a wheelchair it’s the size of the spaces to get the chair in and out of the car.

Shock, horror, just because I have a blue badge does not mean I always use a disabled space and I have also been known to move if I feel someones need is greater than mine.

This might just be because I am alright human being, but it does concern me that even I have been challenged for using a disabled parking bay, so sadly I can see this causing problem for other users.

I must ask where they are going to magic all these disabled spaces from as sadly too many times especially at Supermarkets they are all taken up anyway.

The Government have pledged 1.7m to assist with the increase in applications, there is no mention of anymore disabled spaces being created for the increase in successful applications.

How quickly do you find a disabled space when you need one?

Access to disabled toilets

June 20, 2019 Leave a Comment

I have just read an interesting post on the MS Society UKwebsite regarding the use of disabled toilets. Martin Baum is the author.

Now this I feel can be such a sticky wicket at times and one of the things I look for when I carry out assessments is whether the disabled toilets open both ways and what lock they have on them.

These will be one of three, a standard door handle which anyone can open, a turn key lock which can be opened with a coin and a radar lock which is opened with a radar key.

These each have their own issues as pretty much anyone can gain access to them, even the radar lock key can be bought by anyone online or from their local library.

Nowadays no one questions me why I am using a disabled toilet because most of the time I am in a wheelchair and when I aren’t I have walked the short distance with a stick.

On several occasions, I have had to wait for someone to come out of a disabled toilet to be greeted by someone who looks perfectly capable of using a standard toilet. But here lies the problem.

When greeted by a couple of giggly women coming out I am going to be more sceptical and can only assume they didn’t want to queue.

Now with the law changing to include invisible illness at what point would you challenge someone using a disabled toilet. I would say never but sometimes when you are in their company and they have been jumping about, drinking etc., you do then have to ask why they can’t queue for a standard toilet.

Sad though it is I am afraid once the signs start to go up regarding invisible illness this is then going to be open to interpretation of whether people need to use a disabled toilet or could in fact manage with a standard toilet.

I use a disabled toilet as I couldn’t possibly stand long enough to queue due to my balance issues, there are no answers to this, no right or wrong but I do believe it leaves it seriously open to abuse and because the rule is now set who is anyone to question it.

It also begs the question, will there now have to be more disabled toilets made available both in the workplace and at venues.

Food for thought I would say, and I would be interested in your own thoughts, please comment below and share for me.

Accessibility – Castleford Tigers

June 17, 2019 Leave a Comment

Guest writer today is Brian Sylvester as I was unable to attend.

Thursday 13th June 2019

Castleford Tigers v Hull FC – Mend A Hose Jungle

After incessant rain for three days it was nice to leave Grimsby in relatively dry conditions.

The trip to Castleford was, as always, uneventful and we arrived in plenty of time for this Thursday evening fixture.

We parked in the Carlton Lanes Car Park and headed off to Mend A House. The approach to the stadium is not the best with narrow footpaths and high kerbs, I appreciate this is not the Tigers fault but outside their ground they appear to have a security wall, plastered with advertising, that people congregate at blocking wheelchairs at times.

We had not purchased tickets in advance so had to go around to the far side entrance to find the office.

To access this, you enter via a side gate and proceed down a steep hill, about 10 yards worth, and head to the portacabin ticket office. There is only one window for sales and this is set to high for a wheelchair user. We spoke to a very nice gentleman in the office who sold us our tickets and allowed us to use contactless payment, which is handy if you have someone with you to reach the machine. Explaining we didn’t want to sit in the disabled area, for two reasons, (1) It isn’t the best for seeing (2) You are segregated from your own supporters, we were directed to the gate at the far end of the stadium and gained entry quite easily with an accessible steward pointing us in the direction we wanted to be in.

The first port of call was the disabled toilet; this is secreted away behind an ice cream van. It is not Radar key operated and there was no sign to say it was occupied s. so after trying the door, which was locked we waited a while till we ascertained if it was occupied. After banging on the door, a voice proved to us it was. When it opened a wheelchair bound lady exited and her husband, a Tigers fan, apologised for there not being a sign on the door and a bit of good old-fashioned rugby league banter passed between us. The toilet itself did have rails which sadly appeared to be held up by a plastic wall that moved when you adjusted the rails, unnerving to a one-legged man like me. I felt as if I would fall whilst holding the rail. Leaving the toilet, we looked at food, but it was little on the expensive side, so we went without.

It was then we realised we had not picked up a programme, yes, I’m a dinosaur that still like to read his copy at bedtime, we looked around, but no sellers were visible.

Fortunately, a friend had got a copy and I purchased it from him. £1, like Hull’s, and a good read. To enter the terrace, you must negotiate a very steep hill, yes, it is concrete, but is certainly a challenge for able bodied people to get up let alone one pushing a wheelchair. Rather out of breath and red-faced Danny got me to the top only to find that the concrete turns to a stony pathway. Loose stones at that.; I know it is not likely, but in the event of an outbreak of crowd trouble these would make good weapons and I feel they should be removed.

We chose to position in front of and half way along the executive boxes and this entailed having to lift the chair up a step from the stones to the concrete terrace. The view even from up here is not the best as the crush barriers are rather thick and solid. I spent the game bobbing up and down to view over the top for far end play and under for the near try line. Also, the terrace steps are quite high so people standing in front can obscure your view. From where we positioned we couldn’t see the scoreboard or the clock though we did obviously have the screen but even the view of that was poor as fans again blocked your view.

Exiting the ground also meant crossing the stones and dropping down the hill. The walk to the exit gated was fraught with danger as fans unaware of wheelchairs crisscrossed their way out. Also queues to the toilets blocked the path.

Outside the ground we headed back to the car park but sadly this wasn’t straight forward as we had supporters’ busses parked up blocking then pavements. Now I don’t know why they don’t park the buses in the stadium confines as there appears to be plenty of room. This might be a police idea but as blocking a public right of way is illegal perhaps the club can investigate this.

(This is due to Sky TV being in attendance, they don’t allow coaches to park up, we have discussed this every time with Castleford Tigers but there is no shifting, the coaches parking up on the road side also onto the pavement should though be a police issue) RRWMS

Overall the way disabled citizens are treated is not the best, I appreciate that the ground is very old and past its sell by date, here though I do admit to quite liking a good old fashioned stadium rather than the sterile stadiums of the 21st Century, but with a few minor changes the disabled person might have a better experience, tarmacking certain sections of the terrace and making it more accessible would help. There is also the possibility of putting up a small roof next to the executive boxes. This I realise would mean a catering stand would have to be moved but it would make a suitable viewing area for fans in wheelchairs.

Still Hull won so I have ignored the drizzle that fell and came home a happy Airlie Bird.

When is disabled, disabled enough

June 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

As regular readers will know, I am fairly new to this disabled lark and therefore still finding my feet (pardon the pun) with how to access venues etc.,

This blog was set up predominantly for me to investigate accessibility at rugby league grounds, however there are several other events I also would like to attend.

Who sets the rules/requirements for being classed as disabled as this does seem to vary from venue to venue.

I touched on this a little in the previous post about getting disabled seating at rugby league grounds and on how up to this point I have just bought standard seats and winged it with the scooter when I got there (hey I can fly now) well no you get the gist of what I am saying.

In recent weeks I have booked tickets for other events, one being a play at Hull Truck Theatre and the latest being an event in August at Hull New Theatre.

Now when I rang Hull Truck Theatre I requested a wheelchair space and my disability wasn’t questioned, a wheelchair space I got.

Last week I rang Hull New Theatre well Hull City Councils Booking Office to request tickets for an event in August, no questions asked until I mentioned a carer ticket, so yes I could book a wheelchair space, which I did, but when I asked about a carer I was told I would have to fill a form in for a card and I was given the email address of where to request said form, the information I would need would be my disability, what benefit I was on and the name of my carer, he then went on to say the requirements for benefits where the enhanced rates and without it I wouldn’t get a card.

I asked about the carer and the fact I don’t have a full-time carer it is just who is attending an event with me, it could be my Mum or a friend so there wasn’t much point in me providing a name as it could be anybody.

The response I got was I had to have a full-time carer and that carer had to be named otherwise they couldn’t attend with me.

I don’t need a full-time carer but if I am attending an event in my wheelchair I do really need someone to help with the pushing, how else am I going to get about.

Working for the NHS I was very fortunate to have to take mandatory training at regular intervals, one of the sections of this was equality and diversity training, now is this not mandatory in all organisations, specifically government organisations, so why are we subjected to mis-information continually, when all we are trying to do is carry on with our lives.

I have since found out I only need to score between 10-12 points on mobility to allow me a pass and when I received the form there was no mention of a me naming my carer/wheelchair pusher.

The latest issue I have though is trying to get a disabled wheelchair space for the Challenge Cup Semi Final at Bolton as I don’t have a disabled pass because the ruling for a disabled pass is enhanced mobility, hey and guess what I don’t have that and I can’t see me being able to wing my way through at Bolton with my scooter without a disabled ticket.

I appreciate there has to be rules but at what point does common sense come in to it, and why do we have to fight for everything just so we can still have some kind of social life.

The system is just so mixed, it’s beyond me.

Accessibility for Disabled RL Fans

June 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

PLEASE SHARE – SHARE – SHARE

18 Months ago, my life changed in a way I never could have dreamt it would.

I went from being an outgoing, hardworking lady with a great social life, which a big part of that was following my beloved Hull FC home and away.

Determined this illness wasn’t going to take away my main social life, watching Hull FC, where I have made friends, both through attending games for over 30 years and running the successful Airlie Bird Travel Club

Missing most of last season due to being signed off sick from work, old habits die hard, “don’t go to School/Work don’t go out”, my wonderful dad for you, bless his soul. I was determined that once I was medically retired I had to have something to keep me occupied and I missed the rugby crowd so much and it’s not the same listening to games on the radio.

That is how this blog started, as the information out there for accessibility when attending rugby league grounds is very minimal.

My first step as always was a google search on accessibility at rugby league grounds. Hats off to Wigan Warriors as theirs was the only one that came up with details of accessibility and how to apply for disabled tickets. However, it makes me both sad and annoyed as quite a few of these grounds have been built since the original Disability Discrimination Act 1995, later superseded by the Equality Act in 2010 which made it ‘mandatory for all establishments and service providers that are open to the public to take reasonable steps to provide access for disabled people.’

The only way for me to find out about accessibility and if the ground was suitable for my requirements was to contact them direct. This as you will see from previous posts worked both for and against me. I am still waiting for a response from London Broncos after they where so helpful in my original emails, then failed to reply to my complaint.

Because guess what another stumbling block for me is, I need either a wheelchair or mobility scooter to get around as the MS has created balance issues. The requirement to purchase a disabled ticket and book a wheelchair space is based on what benefits I am in receipt of.

Currently I am on standard rate PIP and to purchase a disabled ticket and book a wheelchair space the ruling is you must be in receipt of DLA/PIP enhanced mobility or enhanced Attendance Allowance.

Now for reasons best known to the DWP, which I might add has now gone to tribunal I am in receipt of PIP standard therefore I don’t fit the criteria for a disabled ticket or a wheelchair space.

At this time, I do have to point out that by buying a standard ticket and winging it when I get to the ground, I have been totally supported by both St Helens and Salford but come on as part of DDA/Equality requirements the assistance available can’t be down to a DWP decision.

Winging should not be the only option left for me and the main reason I didn’t attend magic weekend.

In March, following a terrible experience at London Broncos I contacted Hull FC for a contact at the RFL to discuss the issues both I and other disabled fans are encountering on a weekly basis, Hull FC kindly forwarded my email to Super League and their Marketing Executive got in touch with me to see what could be done to help along with hopefully working together to improve the match day experience for disabled fans.

I need to understand the issues you are having, why you are not attending games you otherwise could?

There is an ear available at Super League and one we need to all be taking advantage of, let’s get our heads together and gather the information required to improve the match day experience for all disabled fans.

For anyone who would like to share their own experiences, please join my Facebook group Rugby League Disabled Fans Accessibility and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

The hashtag for Instagram and Twitter is #accessiblerl let’s get it out there for all to see.

I am also in the process of pitching to the Rugby League media and local Radio Stations, so please state whether you are happy for me to share your experiences or any photographs you have taken as evidence.

Now please share, share, share and share again and comment below.