Alton Towers to remove disability pass for certain conditions

Fuzzy200

I saw this article today.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gwgj4xreo

NeuroEve

Read it yesterday and was appalled at the whole wording of it. I have no issue with using our daughters PIP to pay for her a fast pass but it’s way they have done this. Both our Son and Daughter are autistic and he hates rides and parks. Our daughter loves the rides but struggles to stand around enclosed spaces with lots of people as she feels like her space is getting invaded, she always likes to know where the exit is everywhere she goes. We are planning a trip to Alton Towers in April and will see how it goes, she is also off to Disney World in August and there system encompasses neurodivergent people so much better. We have no issues in waiting in a virtual queue, we don’t want to jump the queue but I think a lot of people who are possibly not neurodiverse or have a disability just think anyone who is gets things for free and goes first. So not the case, neither of ours adults kids could access anything without having at least one carer with them so that normally adds onto the cost along with providing evidence or filling in forms and jumping through hoops. I can see Alton Towers possibly changing tack if someone challenges this legally. Yet another attack on the disabled.

Amazonianup

People think the disabled get something for nothing i bet that what its really about. Its like having a day where your okay and people think you dont need help for other things. I have so far spent three days ibs flare up i wonder if companies or government will see jumping the toilet que will be seen as advantage over people who have spent more money to drink etc lets choose one group to go another to soil themselves or be excluded. Yes people have a spectrum of disability for ADHD or anxiety but how can a company decide that fairly. I really dont see if % of population is disabled that on any given day that this outnumbers % people not at Alton towers to effect que or can they not manage that if you have to fill in forms.

rubin16

Theres a simple answer to this, just boycott Alton Towers. If no one with these conditions visited becuase of this change they would lose out on numbers and soon reintroduce it again.

I couldn't visit a theme park anyway too noisy, crowded a whole load of sensory overload. I think if you can even stand being in these parks without having a panic attack/meltdown, then half the battle is done. But even with a virtual queue I still wouldn't be able to enjoy the park with all the noise around the place, it'll be a waste of time.

Amazonianup

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1099898#Comment_1099898

Yes but if the people with ADHD and Anxiety hypothetically didnt have the disability they would still be in the other queue so the problem should still exist in the other queue of delay. I suspect that maybe other people was not happy about the other queue and for more income its profitable to discriminate against those hidden disabilities so the main customers without the disability dont complain and who in all probably wait longer if ore people without those disabilities are in the other queue that is most likely why the two conditions was chosen to discriminate against. Why cant they plan people into each attendance ahead of time to try and reduce overload. If queues are this big plan a % of each disabled person who would otherwise wait into % of rides they would like to attend of as a guarantee on given day.

OverlyAnxious

It's not able bodied people who complained. It's other disabled people who say the disabled waits are getting too long.

I can see their point. Imagine if 50% more people suddenly started using disabled toilets. The queue for those would get much longer and the people most in need would not be able to use them quickly enough. Therefore those most in need are losing out despite the physical adaption being put in place.

Unfortunately this was always going to happen with an increase in anxiety & Autism diagnoses. The half term holiday is only 2 weeks long, it's simply not possible to spread out the large volume of people with the passes over just 2 weeks.

SheffieldMan1976

We haven't been to Alton Towers for over 40 years anyway, probably not since it first opened in the early 80s, and I wasn't diagnosed as ND back then.