CareCo highlights dangers of concertgoers exploiting disability loopholes
Mobility retailer CareCo has been highlighting the dangers of non-disabled fans taking advantage of disability tickets at pop concerts.
The retailer, which has stores across England, Scotland and Wales, decided to address the issue following recent nationwide press coverage about potential non-disabled fans taking advantage of disability tickets for Oasis’ gig in Heaton Park.
The Oasis shows were one of the most sought-after tickets of the year following the famous brothers’ reunion but according to eyewitness accounts, people used the disability and companion scheme to gain entry then jumped out of their wheelchairs and ditched their crutches when the band began to play.
Whilst cautious that not all disabilities are visible, this meant that people who have disabilities were unable to get tickets, and people took advantage of carer tickets to get two-for-one access.
According to CareCo, there are moral issues because it means that there were potentially people who didn’t need to be somewhere designed for people with disabilities were taking up valuable space. For example, adequate space is provided on viewing platforms, so that there’s enough room for wheelchair or mobility aid users.
Will Harrison, Founder of CareCo, commented: “The excitement around the Oasis reunion was naturally expected given it was something that many believed would never happen, and obviously tickets were going to be difficult to get.
“However, it’s a shame to hear reports that people abused the accessible tickets to gain entry. This will have stopped genuine fans with disabilities being able to attend the show and even made things potentially difficult at the concert itself – blocking views and taking up valuable room with unnecessary aids.
“It’s a double-edged sword because security at concerts like this need to ensure that people aren’t taken advantage of, but also that people with disabilities aren’t placed in a position where they need to ‘prove’ their disability or needs either.
“We’d encourage both government and venues across the UK to look at how we can address this in a dignified way and put a stop to unscrupulous people taking advantage of people with their own needs.”
In the UK, it is not explicitly illegal to pretend to have a disability, although morally wrong. However, if you are doing it for financial gain then this could be considered fraud which is illegal.
Both for planning and legal concerns, the Equality Act 2010 means that there should be accessible ticketing offering suitable companion tickets, and venues must make reasonable adjustments. Areas are, or should be, designed so that people with disabilities can get to an accessible path from the entrance to a suitable platform.
The retailer also highlighted how accessible parking and toilets are also being used by people who may think that disabled parking spaces can be used because there’s no other spaces. It also highlighted how the Blue Badge Scheme, which is designed to help with this, can be misused by friends or family lending badges.
Ticketmaster states that its policy is to verify accessible tickets, and customers have three weeks to submit their requirements, and if they don’t then the tickets are cancelled.
