Tony Meolas Loan Spell
Slut Faced Whores
I didnt know how to put it but yes that was my concern too about being near the away fans.
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Bit late now but question about the disabled section at Withdean.
- Thread starter Buzzer
- Start date
I didnt know how to put it but yes that was my concern too about being near the away fans.
Pretty pink fairy
Banned
- Jan 30, 2008
- 31,981
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 71,941
Totally agree. We'll all benefit from the very best facilities. Anybody who's ever taken/is a person who is disabled, whether permanently or temporarily, will judge the club on how it treats the disabled. In my very few dealings with the club in this respect in the past I've always found their stance to be superb throughout. Today I attended a presentation and booked seats for a friend who is ambulant disabled and their personal assistant. Again I was deeply impressed by the club's stance. Still the good guys in my book until proved otherwise. They'd probably be first to admit they don't always get everything right, but IMHO their hearts in the right place. If it's broke, they'll make every effort to fix it.
Last edited:
Shanker45
New member
Martin Perry has just emailed me to say they are not ignoring my email but want time to ensure he sends a detailed and accurate response to all the issues raised. Should hear more in a few days.
Interesting that it took an email from Atilla for me to get a response! Anyway let's wait and see what the club has to say although I am a little surprised that they don't have all the answers to hand.
Don't let up the pressure!
Interesting that it took an email from Atilla for me to get a response! Anyway let's wait and see what the club has to say although I am a little surprised that they don't have all the answers to hand.
Don't let up the pressure!
Pete and Sarah
Sarah
Please can urgent thought also be given to ambulant disabled as well - the lack of blue badge parking seems to indicate this hasn't been given much thought. I think though all disabled people wish for is to be treated, as far as possible, in the same way as able bodied & to have the same experiences - & not be shoved in a corner, no effective choice about seats or have excessive difficulty in getting to a game. I'm annoyed enough with the way season tickets and presentations at the Amex have been dealt with but the difficulties we may have, combined with the parking issues could well be a further problem. We did e-mail the club's disability officer sometime ago about our anxieties but got no reply. I'm not sure how we can consider ourselves a Community Club in a Community Stadium if we seemingly can't manage to appropriately cater for our own disabled, ambulant and wheelchair, supporters.
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,970
Very true, It does'nt seem that long ago that I was pushing someone in a wheelchair on one of our stadium demo's in Brighton and now as the stadium is near completion it's myself that's in a wheelchair needing an occasional push from other's.
Pete and Sarah
Sarah
Yep, who knows. Not that long ago disabilty problems weren't an issue & perhaps that's why we didn't take that much notice at the planning stages - probably says something about us. Now they are, big time.
Hillian1
( . ) ( . )
I have nothing to add to this thread other than this:
A poster who said he carried his son up the stairs in Fblock so they can FEEL like proper fans. I say to You that you ARE proper fans.
Respect to you sir
A poster who said he carried his son up the stairs in Fblock so they can FEEL like proper fans. I say to You that you ARE proper fans.
Respect to you sir
Emily's Mum
New member
You are right, I am paying almost double for my season ticket compared to what I am paying at Withdean. At Withdean if I turn up early enough I can park in the car park with my blue badge. I'm not even guaranteed that at Falmer
Emily's Mum
New member
And another thing, the club SHOULD be able to have the answers to hand as disability access & accommodation is required by law at the planning stage.
I've just moved into a new flat. I pointed out to the Housing Association that as I have a disabled parking badge, I should be able to access the flats from the car park in a safe manner. They agreed, apologised & have so far got a disabled sign pained on my parking bay, arranged to put in a handrail in the garden & have asked their architecht to look again at access to see if they can make my walk from the car to the building as flat as possible.
It's all about attitude, if you want to serve your customers you will, if you don't, you'll ignore them
I've just moved into a new flat. I pointed out to the Housing Association that as I have a disabled parking badge, I should be able to access the flats from the car park in a safe manner. They agreed, apologised & have so far got a disabled sign pained on my parking bay, arranged to put in a handrail in the garden & have asked their architecht to look again at access to see if they can make my walk from the car to the building as flat as possible.
It's all about attitude, if you want to serve your customers you will, if you don't, you'll ignore them
Shanker45
New member
Quick update as due to work I haven't time to add a detailed posting.
Martin Perry has responded to me with a very comprehensive email on facilities at Amex which to me sound quite encouraging.
PM and I will send you a copy.
I will try and update some of the key points later.
Martin Perry has responded to me with a very comprehensive email on facilities at Amex which to me sound quite encouraging.
PM and I will send you a copy.
I will try and update some of the key points later.
attila
1997 Club
PM sent.
Seems to have gone off radar. Extracts from MP's email.
39 wheelchair and 39 helper positions at high level in the south east and
south west corners.
We placed seating in the corners because we were advised by NADS, that high corner
positions were the best for those in wheelchairs who had limited mobility of the
neck. We would dispute that this is the worst area for viewing. The view from
these seats is very elevated and excellent.
We have located this seating in the South East and South West corners because we can
achieve level or gently sloping access from the external concourse to each of these
spaces (See the point about the external concourse and site levels above). Also
importantly they have level or gently sloping access into the main concourses.
You should also be aware that the seats in the corners are on super risers so that
when the general seating in the corners is added, wheelchair users will still be
able to see over the row in front as explained above. I checked the view again today
and it is superb.
* 11 wheelchair and 11 helper positions at first floor hospitality level
(Lower Platinum 1901 Club)
* 22 wheelchair and 22 helper positions second floor hospitality level
(Upper Platinum and Gold 1901 Club)
* 17 wheelchair and 17 helper positions for away supporters at high level in
the south stand
This means that more than half of the wheelchair positions for home fans are at high
level.
Disabled car parking and travel arrangements.
The key facts are these:
* There are over 120 disabled parking spaces being created in the new car
park being constructed between the railway and the A27 (known as Park Wall Farm) and
in the University of Sussex. The priority on who uses these will be decided in
consultation with BODS.
* Access to the Park Wall Farm car park is via the main external concourse
where we anticipate there will be heavy pedestrian traffic. No vehicles will be
allowed on the concourse from 1½ hours before the game for safety reasons.
Similarly, there will also be a delay after the game until it is safe to use the
concourse, this is unlikely to be any more than 30 - 45 minutes and is unavoidable.
* We have already agreed to talk to BODS about the provision of shuttles
from the Park and Rides for disabled supporters and to continue and extend the home
collection service that is currently arranged for some wheelchair users. It should
also be borne in mind that most of Brighton & Hove Bus Company vehicles now have
disabled access and it is their buses that will be used for the park and ride sites.
* There will be an area for disabled drop off in the coach park at the stadium.
* If you wish to travel by rail, our new footbridge makes Falmer station
fully accessible for wheelchair users.
Concessions for Disabled Supporters
The decision to withdraw special concessions for disabled supporters was a Board
Policy implemented following consultation with NADS and along with many other clubs,
on the basis that all supporters should be treated equally and charged the same
amount in individual areas.
The pricing policy therefore for wheelchair positions is that the prices are exactly
the same as the area to which they relate, although as before, a disabled persons
personal assistant is admitted free of charge.
This is only fair and applies to wheelchair users as well as ambulant disabled and
equalises the position for all supporters. We did have a number of concessions at
Withdean because the viewing positions were so poor including the wheelchair
positions under the control box. At the Amex stadium this no longer applies. We
are convinced that the viewing positions from all wheelchair positions are equally
as good as anywhere in the stadium and therefore the pricing policy reflects this.
39 wheelchair and 39 helper positions at high level in the south east and
south west corners.
We placed seating in the corners because we were advised by NADS, that high corner
positions were the best for those in wheelchairs who had limited mobility of the
neck. We would dispute that this is the worst area for viewing. The view from
these seats is very elevated and excellent.
We have located this seating in the South East and South West corners because we can
achieve level or gently sloping access from the external concourse to each of these
spaces (See the point about the external concourse and site levels above). Also
importantly they have level or gently sloping access into the main concourses.
You should also be aware that the seats in the corners are on super risers so that
when the general seating in the corners is added, wheelchair users will still be
able to see over the row in front as explained above. I checked the view again today
and it is superb.
* 11 wheelchair and 11 helper positions at first floor hospitality level
(Lower Platinum 1901 Club)
* 22 wheelchair and 22 helper positions second floor hospitality level
(Upper Platinum and Gold 1901 Club)
* 17 wheelchair and 17 helper positions for away supporters at high level in
the south stand
This means that more than half of the wheelchair positions for home fans are at high
level.
Disabled car parking and travel arrangements.
The key facts are these:
* There are over 120 disabled parking spaces being created in the new car
park being constructed between the railway and the A27 (known as Park Wall Farm) and
in the University of Sussex. The priority on who uses these will be decided in
consultation with BODS.
* Access to the Park Wall Farm car park is via the main external concourse
where we anticipate there will be heavy pedestrian traffic. No vehicles will be
allowed on the concourse from 1½ hours before the game for safety reasons.
Similarly, there will also be a delay after the game until it is safe to use the
concourse, this is unlikely to be any more than 30 - 45 minutes and is unavoidable.
* We have already agreed to talk to BODS about the provision of shuttles
from the Park and Rides for disabled supporters and to continue and extend the home
collection service that is currently arranged for some wheelchair users. It should
also be borne in mind that most of Brighton & Hove Bus Company vehicles now have
disabled access and it is their buses that will be used for the park and ride sites.
* There will be an area for disabled drop off in the coach park at the stadium.
* If you wish to travel by rail, our new footbridge makes Falmer station
fully accessible for wheelchair users.
Concessions for Disabled Supporters
The decision to withdraw special concessions for disabled supporters was a Board
Policy implemented following consultation with NADS and along with many other clubs,
on the basis that all supporters should be treated equally and charged the same
amount in individual areas.
The pricing policy therefore for wheelchair positions is that the prices are exactly
the same as the area to which they relate, although as before, a disabled persons
personal assistant is admitted free of charge.
This is only fair and applies to wheelchair users as well as ambulant disabled and
equalises the position for all supporters. We did have a number of concessions at
Withdean because the viewing positions were so poor including the wheelchair
positions under the control box. At the Amex stadium this no longer applies. We
are convinced that the viewing positions from all wheelchair positions are equally
as good as anywhere in the stadium and therefore the pricing policy reflects this.
Reasons for pitchside seating:-
These were provided because we are aware that a number of wheelchair users prefer
pitch side viewing. We note that more than half of the wheelchair users that have
already booked their seats have chosen these locations. In addition to this, prior
to putting the season tickets on sale, we deliberately reserved the seats in the
rows immediately behind these wheelchair areas so that families and friends of
wheelchair users could all sit together.
There have been no complaints or comments to our
sales staff from supporters who have been in to purchase their tickets. In simple
terms some people like to be pitch side and we have made provision for them.
These were provided because we are aware that a number of wheelchair users prefer
pitch side viewing. We note that more than half of the wheelchair users that have
already booked their seats have chosen these locations. In addition to this, prior
to putting the season tickets on sale, we deliberately reserved the seats in the
rows immediately behind these wheelchair areas so that families and friends of
wheelchair users could all sit together.
There have been no complaints or comments to our
sales staff from supporters who have been in to purchase their tickets. In simple
terms some people like to be pitch side and we have made provision for them.
Shanker45
New member
Sorry wasn't able to post the email until today but looks like I have been beaten to it!
Positive reponse I think from MP but a shame we have to wait for stage 2 of the development (when will that be?) to really get the facilities all deserve.
Parking issue still needs some work though.
Positive reponse I think from MP but a shame we have to wait for stage 2 of the development (when will that be?) to really get the facilities all deserve.
Parking issue still needs some work though.
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
Have the pitchside seats gone because of the positioning or are they the cheapest option for a disabled fan?
magoo
New member
That all sounds pretty reasonable to me. Anyone still unhappy with that??
Was wondering if anyone can answer the question of how many car parking spaces will be avaliable in total e.g. not blue badge spaces? I checked the rules with regard to this and a minimum 6% of car parking at recreational/leisure sites should be for blue badge holders.
Tricky Dicky
New member
I seem to remember seing a figure on here sometime, and it wasn't very many. I would imagine the club has a certain number for employees, match officials etc. - don't know if they're included in the calculations.
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
Ergo - 120 disabled spaces of the minimum parking space requirement. Although, I am not sure how that would work as obviously the vast majority of spaces would not be suitable for disabled spaces with a 1.5km radius.