Posted on by Andy

Don’t Want Our Cash

Actress & Disability Campaigner Sam Renke started the Don’t want our cash campaign in 2018. As their web site describes the campaign was started after she visited a newly refurbished store that isn’t accessible. The store had no lowered counters and she was offered no help.

After this incident she started taking photos of places that are inaccessible. She then encouraged her disabled Twitter followers to do the same with the #DontWantOurCash hash tag. In addition to hash tag a website was created along with a Facebook Page and a Twitter account (to allow mentions an retweets).

A common experience

This is an experience that most disabled people recognise. Many places are being built or refurbished without considering accessibility. This occurs despite a legal requirement to provide “reasonable adjustments”. The first law that covering disability access was the DDA in 1995. It was then superseded in 2010 by the Equality Act.

The next tweet shows a common example of needlessly poor access.

Sometimes it can be the little things that make the difference.

Not a storage space

Disabled people often find the access used as storage. I have lost count of the of times that I’ve seen the accessible toilet used as a store cupboard.

The next tweet shows another typical example of a lift being used as storage.

Sometimes the access is used as extra facilities for non disabled people. This Tweet from broadcaster and disability equality trainer Mik Scarlet shows an example.

I have seen many places doing exactly the same. Other common ways to block the disabled access include:

  • ramps being used as a bike park
  • people using a ramp as a smoking area
  • using the access as a demo or display area

It’s not improving

From my experience access is not getting better. This is despite the laws having been in place for almost 25 years. Once again Mik Scarlet sums it up perfectly.

I have seen many accessible places refurbished to be less accessible. When I lived in Brighton I used to meet a friend for coffee. We would meet a couple of times a week. When we started meeting there were 6 places we could easily meet. By the time I left Brighton there were only 3 places. Most of the remaining places were outside so no good in bad weather.

Not just shops

Poor access isn’t limited to shops and cafes. Public transport in the UK can be even worse.

In some areas public transport is completely inaccessible. Even in areas where it has been made accessible, it is still unusable. Typical examples include:

  • pushchairs in the wheelchair spaces
  • luggage blocking access
  • broken ramps
  • drivers refusing acces

Despite many court cases about access to public transport the situation hasn’t improved

For many disabled people using a car or specially adapted vehicle is the only option and public transport is unusable. Recent no car policies are putting this limited access at risk.

Poor attitudes can be worse

In addition to the physical access there is the problem of staff and public attitudes. Poor attitudes can make a place with good physical access totally inaccessible.

The most common ways that poor staff reduce access is by turning disabled people away or completely ignoring them. I have been refused access or service on many occasions just for being a wheelchair user.

The following tweet demonstrates how bad attitudes effect access.

While it is rarer, good staff can make things better. Staff with good training and a good attitude can make places with poor physical access usable. I remember a nice little sandwich shop in Brighton that had terrible physical access. The shop couldn’t easily be made wheelchair accessible. However for a short time the staff there were excellent. They would come out to the street to serve disabled people who couldn’t get in.

Assistance Dogs

People with assistance dogs and Guide dogs also frequently get refused access. Access for assistance dogs is covered in the Equality act. There have been some high profile cases involving most of the large supermarket chains. However the problem is actually far worse and more common than published. Many smaller shops, pubs, cafes and public transport refuse access.

I appologise for the typos in the previous tweet.

Over the past few years I have tried to go on holiday in the UK. It has taken me months just to find a hotel that will take a solo wheelchair user with an assistance dog. They either require me to have a “carer” accompany me, pay much more or demand I leave my registered assistance dog at home.

Summary

The Equality Act 2010 requires “resonable adjustments” to make things accessible. Despite this legislation many places and services are still not accessible. There is also a worrying trend of making places less accessible.

Naming and shaming services that aren’t accessible may not imeadiately help. It does raise awareness of the problems. Some of these organisations may be shamed into improving.

Things can be improved. Real improvements will occur when everyone starts thinking about access and caring about others. Appropriate training and listenting to disabled people will help organisations make adjustments.

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