One of us might be in a wheelchair, but we still go out and enjoy shows, meals, etc. This last week you couldn’t make up what happened to me at the theatres. Bearing this in mind, remember it takes a lot of effort for a disabled person to attend the theatre, especially if they are in a wheelchair. Once they are there, they may use the bar and toilets just like everyone else.
At the beginning of last week we went to see Moulin Rouge, we had booked the Lounge, which I can highly recommend. We went back to the Lounge in the interval and when we returned there was a massive bag in the space in front of my seat. It was the sort of bag someone would take their laundry in as if you filled a bag like than with shopping you wouldn’t be able to carry it. One look at my face and the girl next to me moved it but why put it there in the first place, as it took a while for her to relocate the bag.
At The KitKat Club, the wheelchair space is on it’s own, with just a chair for the Carer. In the Interval my husband went to the toilets in his wheelchair and I stayed with my drink. After a while I had finished my drink, so I went to see if he was OK on his own. When we returned there was someone sat in my seat, it was clear we hadn’t left as I had left my jacket over the chair. My husband had also left his drink, but obviously taken his seat (his wheelchair). The same man had stood next to my seat before the show started leaning on me, until staff moved him on, so he knew the seat was taken. He was really reluctant to move from my seat and tried to ignore me – when he did stand he blocked the wheelchair space. Due to the queue of people behind the wheelchair he had to eventually move.
Remember, Accessible seats are like gold dust, often only 1 wheelchair space per night – so don’t make it any more difficult to attend than it needs to be.
