A great day out but not very accessible or inclusive
2.5
2.5
Date of visit: May 2023
I am a disabled person and a carer or friend of a disabled person and a general supporter of disabled access.
Overall Rating
Average
We visited for the first time in 5 years. The last time we visited we had access issues but we were assured it wouldn’t happen again… So to turn up today and have the same issues was very disappointing. There was no designated blue badge parking and the website states carers go free, both of which are so important for disabled people. On arrival to the ticket stand we were told no, carers pay full price. We showed their own website and we were told we should have booked in advance if we needed a carer. (Another family with a disabled child in a wheelchair were having the same discussion with the ticket people). Eventually, a manager agreed that forcing disabled people to book in advance, when being disabled can mean plans have to change at short notice, is discriminatory. (Surprise! Disabled people can be spontaneous too!!). He let us in with our carers, but instructed the ticket office to stick to the discriminatory policy for anyone else that arrived and charge full price for carer tickets. I hope this changes for next year’s show but I don’t think it will as it’s been 5 years! In the show there were very few paths. (I think the tractors had a path to the show ring laid out but that was all). Buggies, wheelchairs, walkers etc were all getting stuck in the mud. They had put down bark in some areas to try and help. I had to be pushed several times. The show overall was good. But there were no viewing areas for wheelchair users. I could not see the tractor pulling or any events in the main ring as everyone stands at the fence. I was able to watch the show jumping from a distance and see around people. An area marked off for seated people would have been more inclusive and solve this problem. The food stalls were good. The food tent / food hall was labeled as no dogs allowed. I took my assistance dog in with permission, but once inside I realised it was full of pet dogs jumping up at the food stalls and barking/lunging at my working dog. It would have been good for the organisers to be more on it.
Disabled Access In and Around
Poor
It’s in a field so physical access was always going to be tricky. They had not put plastic paths down for wheelchairs. They did not provide any wheelchair viewing areas. There were no BSL interpreters. There was no braille on the signage.
Parking & Transport
Bad
There was no designated blue badge parking. The bus stop was a grass verge and not wheelchair accessible.
Accessible Toilets
Average
Yeah. There were accessible toilets, kinda. There was one wide portaloo for each big toilet block. There was no changing places toilet.
Staff
Poor
The ticket office staff were rude and discriminatory. The manager allowed us access but was discriminatory and dismissive. There were no staff at the food hall enforcing the No pets policy.
