wheelchairs at the para olympics, please read and sign petition

ebonyallen

ebonyallen

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 April 2009
Messages
2,832
Location
Kent South East England
Visit site
:mad:Hi everyone, as most of you know I am disabled and today I recieved this from a wheelchair user, saying that she was unable to sit with her family due to the restrictions on how many people can be next tp her. I am outraged at this how is this suposed to inspire any of us, please read and sign to try and get them to change their policy. Thank you if you take the time to do this x


.


The London 2012 Olympic Games were brilliant. My family - particularly my two children - loved it. I decided I wanted to take them to the Paralympic Games to sample the once in a lifetime showcase of disabled sport in London.
I'm a wheelchair user, with a four-year-old autistic son and a nineteen-month-old daughter. Naturally we wanted to sit together and, particularly as it’s the Paralympics, I assumed there would be adequate provision to allow for this.
So I was stunned to hear that there was no way that this could happen as there is a policy that wheelchair users can only be accompanied by one other person, meaning that either my children or my husband have to sit far away from me.
I’ve started a petition on Change.org calling on London 2012 to review this policy. Please click here to join me.
I cannot believe that this event, designed to inspire a new generation of athletes, has a discriminatory ticketing policy. It's essential that my husband sits with me as he helps me with things I need to do and clearly my kids can't sit separately.
Aside from these practical considerations, I want to share this special occasion with my family, but I'm being prevented from doing so just because I am in a wheelchair.
Please join my campaign to get the organisers of the Paralympics to change this ticketing policy for these and future Games - so every family can share the Paralympics together.
Thank you,
Beth

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...ign=9513&alert_id=SZeqReegtj_JDHUQnZzsBDelete ReplyReply ForwardSpamMovePrint Actions NextPrevious
");
 
Sorry but my Mum is a wheelchair user and she would not want to have young families around her at an event like this.
In the event of evacuation it is difficult enough to get walking people out and doubly so with a wheelchair so the ruling is probably very sensible. (& we have experienced a fire alarm at an arena)

(Why you would want to take a 19 month old child is beyond me though)
 
Have to say I agree with the ruling too. If evacuation was necessary, the husband would need to help his wife, while having to cope with a toddler, buggy, 4 yr old and bags as well. It would prevent them getting out quickly and block other people too.

Why does she want to take a 19 month old to the games ? Surely, most parents, disabled or not, would leave very young children at home anyway ?
 
See, I don't already like this as I got sent the email as spam, which annoys me. I pressed delete before I'd read the whole thing.
 
As someone who will be at the paralympics, and is an occasional wheelchair user, I also agree with the ruling. Everything has to be done in the name of safety, and in the event of an accident this is what's best.

I can see why your friend is upset, but the wider picture needs to be taken into account.
 
I am not a wheelchair user but I can see this argument from both sides. Whilst I feel desperately sorry for this lady or anybody else in her situation, I don't feel you could take an unlimited number of able bodied people. There is obviously a designated area for wheelchairs and if you fill this up with able bodied people then it means there is less space for wheelchair users thus limiting the amount that can go.
 
Sorry, I'm afraid I agree with the others. It does seem harsh that your friend can't sit with her family, but how would she and her husband cope if there was an emergency evacuation? One able bodied adult could not possibly safely manage a wheelchair user and two small children. Plus as others have said there is always limited space available for wheelchairs in the first place. Your friend taking her family could actually then prevent another wheelchair user being able to go at all.

Has she tried asking if it possible to be put in an area in general seating near an exit? This is what a friend of mine does at theatres etc. Most have some areas easily accessible from the door but next to general seating.
 
While I understand the comments made here regarding limited space for wheelchair users and safety concerns in the event of evacuation, surely if we never challenge the amount of space allocated and accessibility then improvements will never be made.
 
Having been to the Olympic stadium three times, there is actually a lot of space allocated to wheelchairs already. This was never full but whether that was because all the tickets for that particular area were never sold or as someone told me, they have to allow extra space because you never know if an able bodied person booked the ticket and then needed a wheelchair for the event. I suppose the latter is feasible as the tickets were booked approximate 16 months in advance.
 
So who is supposed to look after goer children if there is an issue,,, a stranger ?

I agree that more facilities should be made to enable disabled families to be able to watch the para Olympics together, after all it is the para Olympics !!'n
 
whilst I agree with both sides of the arguement I'm in no position to argue either way.

BUT - just to play devils advocate - what if it was just her and the kids going, surely the organisers couldn't expect one of the kids to sit on their own?!
 
My two daughters and I have tickets for the para olympic equestrian. One is 6 and the other is 9. My oldest is a wheelchair user. I hope that we will not be split up as I am hardly likely to leave either on their own. People need to realise that in this day and age it is not only adults who are wheelchair users, and leaving one or other is not an option. As already said, I would have thought an event such as this would serve as an inspiration to less able bodied people.
It is hard enough for the disabled, along with their carers' to enjoy and make the most of experiances without the added worry of being split up.

I will sign even if I receive spam! :rolleyes: It may not help for this event but hopefully in the future it may make a difference
 
I think, if I remember correctly that wheelchair users got a free pass for a carer so the answer is that you take an extra person with you as the wheelchair users carer and the rest of the party sit in their allocated seating that they paid for.
 
I don't think that washes actually kat :(

If able bodied people are able to watch events as a family, them why should a family be split up for the para Olympics ?

I stress again, it is the Para Olympics and yet even at this events the less able bodied are being made to feel less important:(
 
Having worked doing security for large arenas and stadiums the prospect of evacuating those places terrifies me, there is sooooo much that can (and does :( ) go wrong. I think it's in the best interests of everyone if the wheelchair users have lots of space in the seating so in the event of an evacuation they can safely leave the arena.

That said, I'm don't see why provision can't be made for the family to be allocated seats next to the wheelchair area. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top