5
And they're off - to a great day out!
A faultless day out. I didn't know what to expect from Perth Racecourse, I'd been there once before but not as a punter and found it hard work as a wheelchair user. This visit was amazing, they have obviously been working very hard to include wheelchair users more and I have to say they've done it well.
From the moment you arrive at the car park gates to the moment you leave the staff couldn't be more helpful. Some thought has gone into the fact that sitting in a wheelchair means you can't see over the barrier. At the winners enclosure there's a large raised platform with a ramp up to it (a wee bit steep for manual users) giving you a clear view of the horses and trainers. This idea is replicated at the race course itself with mini platforms placed at the finish line - two individual (on the grass) and one double (on concrete). It was fab, I could see everything that was going on without a barrier or person's body in the way.
As this was an ambassadors trip we'd be given the special privilege of getting into the posh restaurant part. Access here had been thought about too, a wee platform lift took you up (albeit a little slowly). We had a window table which meant realistically we didn't have to leave all day, outside there was a viewing area too if we wanted to get some of the atmosphere.
The only part I struggled a little with was placing a bet, handing over the money was hard (not just because I'm a tight wad) as the betting desks were so high.
Outside in the main betting areas the crowds were immense, but very polite and happily moved when asked (or slightly run into). If you didn't want to pay to get into the restaurant there were many food and drink options dotted around the area. From what I could see there were a few disabled toilet options too.
Once all the racing was over they had a Massaoke - basically a crowd based karaoke. I'm sure it was to ease the amount of cars leaving the car park at once but it was a fantastic end to the day, made everyone happy wether they'd lost or won during the day. Who doesn't enjoy belting out an 80's classic to two?!?
A faultless day out. I didn't know what to expect from Perth Racecourse, I'd been there once before but not as a punter and found it hard work as a wheelchair user. This visit was amazing, they have obviously been working very hard to include wheelchair users more and I have to say they've done it well.
From the moment you arrive at the car park gates to the moment you leave the staff couldn't be more helpful. Some thought has gone into the fact that sitting in a wheelchair means you can't see over the barrier. At the winners enclosure there's a large raised platform with a ramp up to it (a wee bit steep for manual users) giving you a clear view of the horses and trainers. This idea is replicated at the race course itself with mini platforms placed at the finish line - two individual (on the grass) and one double (on concrete). It was fab, I could see everything that was going on without a barrier or person's body in the way.
As this was an ambassadors trip we'd be given the special privilege of getting into the posh restaurant part. Access here had been thought about too, a wee platform lift took you up (albeit a little slowly). We had a window table which meant realistically we didn't have to leave all day, outside there was a viewing area too if we wanted to get some of the atmosphere.
The only part I struggled a little with was placing a bet, handing over the money was hard (not just because I'm a tight wad) as the betting desks were so high.
Outside in the main betting areas the crowds were immense, but very polite and happily moved when asked (or slightly run into). If you didn't want to pay to get into the restaurant there were many food and drink options dotted around the area. From what I could see there were a few disabled toilet options too.
Once all the racing was over they had a Massaoke - basically a crowd based karaoke. I'm sure it was to ease the amount of cars leaving the car park at once but it was a fantastic end to the day, made everyone happy wether they'd lost or won during the day. Who doesn't enjoy belting out an 80's classic to two?!?
