Hi, my name is Claire

ClaireAshton

Hi
This is a question about a party that my triathlon club held at a local golf club at the weekend. The venue offers Christmas parties over two floors, with the food and bar on the ground floor and the dance floor upstairs. The format of the evening is a sit-down meal followed by a disco which most people enjoy. There isn't a lift or stair lift to get to the upstairs. We have a member who is in a wheelchair. Last year, we realised after booking that there wasn't a way she could up the stairs, and the only option was for venue staff to carry her up there. She declined this offer.

Before we booked again for 2023, we had assurance that the whole party could be held downstairs, with the tables being moved back to make way for the disco downstairs. This seemed like a great solution, so we rebooked. This was several months before the party date.

The day before the party, they informed us that the disco would need to be upstairs again. They gave two different reasons, one that they didn't have enough staff to move the tables and the other that they had sold more tickets, so it was too busy to move people.

On the night, they stuck to this decision and wouldn't adapt the room layout for a downstairs disco, saying that the music could be heard downstairs. However, there wasn't anywhere to dance down there. It was clear that they had sold as many tickets as they could as there were many more tables than there had been in the two previous years we'd been there, and the room was very cramped.

Our member left soon after the dinner had been served and couldn't enjoy the disco.

I'm interested if this is classed as discrimination as no valid alternative was offered and the venue went back on its agreement with us.

Thanks
Claire

Jimm_Scope

Hi @ClaireAshton, welcome to our community. This sounds like it was a pretty horrible situation for you and especially your colleague  

Have you spoken to the venue since? It may be worth checking what their policies are and reading through them. We do have an advice page on being refused reasonable adjustments. It is mostly directed at issues within employment but there is a section that helps with writing a formal complaint to companies/services.

I hope you are able to get something back, hopefully next year will be better for your triathlon Christmas party!

I'd be interested to hear how you get on, if you'd like to update us with any new information feel free!

ClaireAshton

Thanks Jimm

That's a great idea about their policies thanks. I have had a look at their website and there isn't anything on there other than safeguarding and privacy policies. 

I'll look at the other sections of this site too.

Claire

Jimm_Scope

Hmm, so there's no terms and conditions with the booking at all? 

Was worth a try. I tried looking if there was some kind of ombudsman for this kind of service/industry but I couldn't find one sorry.