Tag: Fun

Concert equality example

On By Katy DalyIn Blog2 Comments

Why is it not fair to assume that those that need accessibility seats at concerts have the same chance of getting tickets for a show than those that don’t. The answer is it’s simply not true.

On top of the fact that disabled people, who need accessibility seats, are massively limited in where they can sit in a venue and they can only go with one person. Is the fact that there isn’t as many tickets available to them as non-disabled people. In fact the numbers are dramatically different, I’ve worked out an example to show you.

I did some rough maths (I can’t do the actual figures because of course they hide them) to show you just have few accessible seats there are at the AO Arena as one example.

They’re 4 blocks in the ao arena which have accessible seating. There’s roughly 650 seats per block. I took one block and then rounded down as they’re are smaller blocks. So if every seat in the AO arenas 4 blocks was accessible, which it clearly isn’t they’d be 2600 seats for disabled people. To match the roughly 20% of disabled people in society (the figures actually 24% of people are disabled but not everyone’s going to go to a concert) this means to match the capacity of the arena they’re should be 4600 accessible seats. Split across the blocks they’re should be 13 blocks of completely accessible seating. And if you think there’s ever that you never been to a music venue. Usually maybe 30 seats in a block are accessible split across the 4 blocks that’s 120 seats because I guessed let’s say 200 give them the benefit of the doubt. Still nowhere near the 4600 there should be.

And yes I know it’s not perfect. They hide the figures so disabled people don’t have exact numbers to prove to you all how unfair it actually is. And not all disabled people are going to need access tickets. But even with these rough figures the AO arena has less than 5% of the amount of accessible tickets it should have to reflect the percentage of disabled people in society.

Having us in the room is not equality, it is not the equity we deserve. We deserve to have the same number of tickets available to us as non-disabled people do. We deserve to have fun, we deserve to have friends, we deserve to have fun with our friends.

Going out

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So I’ve been invited to a family event and thankfully the place is fairly accessible. I’m quite happy with the gap in the bench at the table, and the ramps, but to be honest that’s about it. I can’t get myself a drink though, which is probably both equally a blessing and a curse.

Its still odd for me to be invited to things, I’m honestly not sure I’ll get used to it. Before coming here I contemplated not coming multiple times, I figured it would just be easier for everyone else and for me. But I’m glad I came, I think.

One day maybe I can go somewhere with people and not feel anxious that I’ll get in the way. Living in an inaccessible society, causes lasting emotional damage. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being invited anywhere, to being wanted.

Even the friends I see regularly, I’m still surprised they want me around, but somehow they do. That the problems I cause are worth it for them.

Logically I know it’s not my fault that society is so inaccessible, but emotionally? It’s a struggle to remember that I am not the issue. That I deserve to be involved in things even if it’s difficult.

It’s okay to not feel like you belong, it’s not your fault. Just try not to let that stop you from doing something you want to. You deserve to have fun.

It’s a bit much.

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A bad experience at a concert can really through me, and that’s what happened last night.

If you want to know more specifics about the experience you can see the TikTok I made here. A poor inaccessible experience, and that’s putting it lightly, throws the entire image I have of myself as a disabled person into question.

It makes me wonder why I even try, if I’m just going to be treated like that. It makes me wonder why I even try. It makes me feel more disabled. 

It shows me without a doubt that it’s society that makes me disabled, and that makes me sad. It makes me sad because I know there’s nothing I can really do about the way they want to treat me.

I just want to enjoy a concert. I don’t understand why that’s to much to ask.

A fun day out.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability Truth1 Comment

So I’ve recently attended a friend’s birthday meet up. I get invited yearly, but usually can’t go, this year I’m was very happy to be free. And I have to say what a relief it was that they are also a wheelchair user.

I know it’s a horrible stereotype that disabled people should only have disabled friends. But it just makes things so much easier. I know that when we do things together it’s going to be accessible.

I wasn’t worried in the slightest about how accessible the day would be. I even went happily to somewhere I had never been before, something I wouldn’t normally do. If I was going somewhere completely new I would do a trial run of the area to figure out both how to get there and how accessible it is. But I didn’t need to do that here, and that was such a relief.

They even agreed to meet a few of us on the way to the place somewhere that we knew, including myself, to go to the place together. How nice was that?!

I spent a day not feeling disabled, not worrying about needing help. I was still slightly insecure over my incontinence issues, but as I got more comfortable in the day it was easier to deal with. But overall it was such a fun day, I was so comfortable and just got to be me. This doesn’t happen often.

This is why it’s easier to be around other disabled people, around other people that understand what it’s like to be you. It’s so nice.

Other people need to learn to be more inclusive and society needs to be more accessible in order to change this in anyway. Having fun shouldn’t be stressful, and for once it wasn’t.

People just want to have fun.

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So first of all, I want to apologise because this is another backdated post. I’m actually going to write this one and then write tomorrow, which is today’s straight after. But I think I can class this as a backdated post for a good reason.

For the first time in a really long while  I went out with some friends that I haven’t seen some of them in years, because it was one of their birthdays. It was such a fun day. And all honesty, I didn’t feel disabled for most of it. Which is nice.

Usually this only happens if what I am doing is incredibly accessible. it wasn’t. It was about accessible as everything else usually is. I’d say there weren’t many problems, but there were some. The reason I didn’t feel disabled I think because I was with other disabled people. While I’m not a fan on segregation in anyway there is something to be said about the ease of being with people who aren’t gonna question why you do things a certain way or why you can’t do certain things. There’s no awkwardness if I ask for help. I feel like I can ask for help, probably because I’m not the only one that needed to ask for help.

Inclusion is about more than just being in the room, it’s about being made to feel like you belong in the room. This is something I feel very people who are not disabled. And I feel many disabled people I just meet more than family for example.

It’s just that shared understanding. It’s just nice for it not to matter that I’m disabled for a while.

So I had a really fun day, came home and fell almost immediately asleep. I couldn’t have my Care because I’d stayed out late, but that’s not something I really want to get into on this positive post.

I don’t think that I do.

On By Katy DalyIn Writing Prompts2 Comments

How do you waste the most time every day?

There are lots of things that I do day to day that I’m sure some would consider a waste of time.

I spend a lot of time scrolling and posting on different social media apps. I sleep a lot. I watch a lot of TV. On good days I write a lot.

Some if not all of these things that I do can be seen as a waste of time, particularly the sleeping. But they are all things I enjoy doing, therefore I don’t think that they are. The sleeping is the one that can cause me the most problems, it can make those around me think that I am lazy or that I waste time. But I have somewhat explained this in my previous post.

There are other things I do, like looking for work or writing more professional pieces which I’m sure fit the realm of being productive. And as is usually always the way doing these things is distinctly less enjoyable, but as an adult whatever that may mean, I attempt to do them anyway.

But I spend more time doing the things I enjoy. Not least because I have the time, if not the energy, due to my lack of employment. Some would see this as being lucky, to have the free time, I tend to disagree however as I want to work. And I am trying to find work that fits into my life and the control I have of it, even if this means I have less energy to do the things I want.

Anyway, I got a little distracted there, I apologies. This post is really intended to say that as long as you enjoy doing something it is not a waste of time. No matter what you spend your time doing, or what others may tell you about what you spend your time doing.

Winter.

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What is your favorite season of year? Why?

And I know it might seem weird to comment on the Inaccessibility of the weather, but it is true.

I’m a Christmas girl at heart. Don’t get me wrong I’m not very religious. I just love the pretty lights, to be honest. And snow is really fun to look at, though it tends to be Inaccessible. Snow is pretty but not accessible. I have been stuck in the house multiple times because of snow.

So winter is my favourite season, because you know I love a good hot chocolate. My most accessible season has to be summer. No snow or leaves is blocking the path, no puddles hiding the reality of the pavement.

This is often the case more than you might be realise, at least for me as a disabled person. That just because something is my favourite, doesn’t been it is going to be the most accessible.

And I know, changing a season isn’t something that’s easy to do, or in this case right because there should be snow in winter even if its Inaccessible. But maybe other things can be made accessible so other things that I enjoy can also line up with them being accessible to me. Like swings. Why can’t they be accessible to wheelchair users, or theme parks or beaches? You get the point, anyway.

What about you, what’s your favourite season and why? Also what’s that season like wherever you are?

Putting in a complaint

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One day I will be able to go to a concert and not have an access problem, but it seems Friday was not that day.

We arrived half an hour before the start of our concert to learn that our group of three had been split into areas, despite clarifying on the phone that we would only purchase the tickets if our group could sit together. We were told that the three of us would be able to sit together, if we were happy to squeeze into an accessible space for two, and this in itself would not have been a problem, if it was the only problem.

The space we were shown to had a camera placed in it, as the event was been live streamed, a picture of this is shown below. It seems this space was double booked as accessible seating and press.

Image Description: A picture showing a camera placed on a tripod on a platform.

It took more than 20 minutes for the staff to find somewhere else for us to move into, which resulted in us missing the first songs of the supporting act, who I was specifically looking forward to seeing.

I don’t think this would have happened for the non-accessible seating, as able paying guest would be unlikely to loose there seating to camera equipment. Our treatment at the event was there fore ableist and I am in the process of putting in a complaint.

Disabled show goers, already do not get to choose where we want to sit, we already have to compromise by sitting in the accessible seating area, that is usually near the back. We are told this is for our safety. But I personally believe it is to stop the event organising being sued. I personally wish that I could sign some sort of waver that would allow me to sit nearer the stage.

This specific event had seating near the stage, so I don’t really understand any of the logic as to why I had to sit near the back anyway. But at the very least I deserve to sit in the space I have booked.

I will let you know how the complaint goes.

Concert Time.

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I’m very excited because mainly because I am going to see Olly Murs and Scouting For Girls this evening, but I’ll be honest I’m worried. Having fun is risky, when you’re disabled simply because the fun may not be accessible.

Something important you should try to remember when inviting disabled people to events, is what they may have to give up to go. When you’re disabled you often have to give things up, to compromise in order to experience the fun things in life. Whether this be compromising something specific, or compromising on your comfort and routine, which you’ll pay for later to experience the fun.

For me, I’ve had to give up a night of my personal care, and will have to be in my wheelchair longer. But it’s worth it.

I’m not saying not to invite disabled people to things, we deserve to be included, but simply to be aware of what being involved in the things you invite us to, may cost.

My previous experiences of concerts, not that I have much of it in all honesty, haven’t been the most accessible. But we’re giving it a new go tonight, and hoping for widely new and different experiences, that involve some dancing and very bad singing.

I’ll let you know, probably tomorrow now, how I get on with the concert accessibility wise, but I’m sure I will have a great time.

I apologies if this post comes across as rushed, I am in the process of getting ready for tonight.

I haven’t got the energy.

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I’m not sure if I am able to say if I have fatigue or not. But whatever this is, it’s getting to me lately.

The last 24hrs have been a hell of a 24hrs for various reasons, some of which were mentioned in the last post. As I’ve been trying to simply exist in the world, and to enjoy myself as I do it, I find my weird energy patterns make this difficult.

Perhaps fatigue is to simple an explanation, as sometimes I have a lot of energy, other times I have none.

There’s some science behind this, perhaps to do with how overwhelmed my brain gets with information. Or maybe I’m just tired and over thinking all of this.

I apologies in advance if this one doesn’t make a lot of sense, I am exhausted as I write it.