It's just not cricket.

[Druk]

Well, rugby actually, but I needed a snappy title.

The story so far.

I have a mentally disabled nephew (30yrs) in the care of a home in the SE Midlands. He is a great fan of the local rugby club. (a large, very successful rugby club). Because of his disability he has to be in the charge of a carer from his home when he goes to a match and has to pay for this carers ticket. On behalf of him and the carehome I asked the club if carer tickets could be given gratis as a concession. Their reply was that they already did do this and to simply ask at the ticket office. :bannana:

On his next visit my nephew duly asked for the carer concession but was refused on the grounds that he was not in a wheelchair.

I emailed the club and (gently) asked them if it was policy to discriminate between different categories of disability. So far they have not had the courtesy to even acknowledge the email.

Drawing on this forums wide knowledge is this a common practice among sporting clubs?
And if not what would your advice be for me to do next?

Thanks.

.

 

[jonnyboy]

Shocking.

Did you specifically ask about able-bodied disabled people? Get a name etc?

BTW you have mail (unrelated)

 

[Bellow]

Might this hinge on the additional seats required? Presumably there are vacant spaces for wheel chairs. Just guessing mind, but if they regularly sell all the tickets, rather than point to lost profit they may present it as a seat denied to a regular fan issue.

Edit PS.
I would continue, but very softly. It is their sympathetic side you need to elicit, not their adversarial.

 

[trapperjohn]

The off hand answer would be to get him a wheel chair, get the carers ticket and leave the wheel chair in the ticket office ready for the next visit. Sorry if that was flip Druk, non was intended. It would though, focus the clubs attention to a fault line in their policy.
I'm guessing the carer would have some sort of ID he could show at the ticket office to obtain his free entry.
I guess you will have to keep plugging away at the club's system untill they realise they are shooting themselves in the foot here. The local press (or even the threat of it) may clear a log jam.

 

[jonnyboy]

Agreed John

 

[oldcro]

You can see their point though, if every disabled but walking persons carer was allowed in free then half the fans would suddenly become disabled for the day.

Perhaps the club should issue special passes with photo ID's to those registered disabled. Also this situation may not have cropped up before so no policy provided by the club. A nice letter or a talk with a club officer might sort it out. Much better than anyone ranting about the unfairness in a Mercedes forum.