Wheel Chairs

[Simon Lewis]

Does anybody run a disabled refuge system?

Yes, we do!

 

 

Seems to me that there are elements of the refuge system at work in Paul's example? The main difference being that unike the typical refuge system where some form of comms is needed to alert the person in charge that a disabled person needs rescue, a theatre has front of house staff who can help effect the evacuation.

[jonathanhill]

In the majority of venues where I have been resident, ushers and Duty Management staff have been briefed to evacuate the ambulatory audience members before any mobility impaired people. The ushers role in an evacuation has been to direct people out of the appropriate exits, and then to evacuate anyone who has mobility issues. This includes people who walk with a stick or a frame, as well as wheelchair users.

 

As far as I can see it, this is the only way to do it, as trying to evacuate wheelchair users with ambulatory punters is going to lead to choking of fire exits, with potentially deadly consequences.

[paulears]

Can I ask how people deal with those people who are wheelchair bound, but seem happy to suddenly ditch it and sit in a normal seat? These people may well have mobility issues, or could be in the chair for respiratory reasons - and given an emergency, could become a block of an escape route. I note airlines seat disabled people next to the exits so they will get evacuated by the others - presumably just shoved out the door and down the chute?

 

It wasn't an emergency, but we had real issues with one of the Chuckle Brothers shows, where they queue up in the aisles to wait for autographs, and the snake goes right up the centre aisle and down the far one - effectively rendering all the exits on that side out of action. We had somebody in an aisle seat who could not get out of the seat without their wheelchair, and because it was at the wrong side of a queue, they could not leave, yet the people in the row were backing up behind them, unable to understand that they would not get out that way. Some people got very abusive towards the disabled person, because they didn't look disabled, and were not in a chair. In the case of an emergency - this could have been equally tricky.

[boswell]

Can I ask how people deal with those people who are wheelchair bound, but seem happy to suddenly ditch it and sit in a normal seat?

This is a major headache for us, being a seaside town popular for retirement. They buy the tickets over the phone with no mention of mobility issues, then turn up in a wheelchair or mobility scooter.

They then want to sit in the normal seat (which could be anywhere in the row) and abandon the transport in the aisle. Arguments arise as we then insist on removing the transport as it blocks the aisle. (we have the same problem with zimmer frames and crutches!).

As they are then seated anywhere in a row, they could cause blockage of the row in an evacuation and the FOH staff have trouble keeping track of where they are. They won't move to the designated wheelchair spaces as they are at the back or are full. If we refuse them entry then we get slated in the local papers.

We can't win and have not found a satisfactory solution so far

[jonathanhill]

Generally, in my experience, the mobility, or lack of it, of audience members has not been difficult to acertain as tickets for wheelchair users have always been cheaper, and generally allow a carer free of charge as well.

 

However, this ticketing policy may not be universal, and was helped by the building not being too old, and therefore having wider aisles and dedicated wheelchair positions in the auditorium.

 

Could questions be asked at point if sale regarding a punters relative mobility?

[the kid]

Can I ask how people deal with those people who are wheelchair bound, but seem happy to suddenly ditch it and sit in a normal seat?

This is a major headache for us, being a seaside town popular for retirement. They buy the tickets over the phone with no mention of mobility issues, then turn up in a wheelchair or mobility scooter.

They then want to sit in the normal seat (which could be anywhere in the row) and abandon the transport in the aisle. Arguments arise as we then insist on removing the transport as it blocks the aisle. (we have the same problem with zimmer frames and crutches!).

As they are then seated anywhere in a row, they could cause blockage of the row in an evacuation and the FOH staff have trouble keeping track of where they are. They won't move to the designated wheelchair spaces as they are at the back or are full. If we refuse them entry then we get slated in the local papers.

We can't win and have not found a satisfactory solution so far

 

See I think that is something that is 100% on the patron, if you book to see a show and you know full well you need assistance it is your job to help as well, would they turn up at say a church and insist that they sat in the middle of a pew?

 

I know no one can afford to take public flack for throwing out someone in a wheelchair, the press would never tell the right story, but what can you do?

 

We have a regular customer who thanks to the theatre layout can sit front row in his chair, it is quite a small (and VERY nippy) chair that is the same height as a sat person so no pissing off the people behind, and a couple who use the access at the top of the seating.

 

I do wonder if simple booking questions would aid, then again we have students with allergies and other arguably dangerous things that staff should know about who never declare them until something happens.

[boswell]

Could questions be asked at point if sale regarding a punters relative mobility?

 

tried that, it p***ses off the punters who are 100% mobile, do I look that old? what makes you think I need a wheelchair? etc

Put notices on the box office window asking them to tell us about mobility problems, result, they don't read it, don't want to admit to it or order over the phone.

Joe Public, don't we love them!!

[kerry davies]

If you need to build a disabled persons viewing platform the IStructE guide to Temporary Demountable Structures has all the information you need.

 

There are 4 pages of it so a bit much to cut'n'paste here. Height 1100 to 1250mms. Depth from front 2250mms. Space for wheelchair 900mms. Attendant seat 500mms. Non-slip, handrails, edge protection for wheels, 5Kn/M squared, ramp angle 1:15 recommended but at most 1:12, intermediate ramp "landings" with maximum ramp length of 8m.