“Around 300 new cases are diagnosed each year in the UK.” – Transverse Myelitis Society

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Transverse Myelitis Day is a day in which people come together to raise awareness around Transverse Myelitis and the impacts the condition can have on both people’s mental & physical health.

“Transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder caused by inflammation (swelling) across both sides of one level or segment of the spinal cord. Inflammation can damage or destroy myelin, the fatty protective substance that covers nerve cell fibers. This damage causes scars that interrupt the communication between the nerves in the spinal cord and the rest of the body.” – National Multiple Sclerosis Society

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Transverse Myelitis & The Access Card

Here at The Access Card, we support many cardholders to help them discreetly communicate the barriers they might face when out and about or visiting shows, events or tourist destinations and have provided some more information about some of the typical access requirements we have processed.

Everyone is different and experiences their needs in different ways, but here are some examples based on our experience.

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Standing & Queuing

Whether you have difficulty with physically being in a queue for a significant period of time, difficulty with the concept of queuing, or have difficulty with being in a queue/ crowded spaces, the ‘Standing & Queuing’ symbol can be added to your Access Card to help communicate this access requirement. 

Different providers have their own ways of accommodating this access requirement.

For example, Legoland Windsor Resort accepts Access Cards with the ‘Standing & Queuing’ symbol as proof for a Ride Access Pass.

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What is a Ride Access Pass?

“A Ride Access Pass is a virtual queuing system designed to make reasonable adjustments to assist guests who do not understand the concept of queuing, have a physical disability that prevents them standing for extended periods of time or permanently non-ambulant guests.”

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Level Access

The ‘Level Access’ symbol is not just available to wheelchair users, but also to people who find accessing stairs impossible or require additional space in order to feel more comfortable in a venue’s environment.

Different providers have different systems in place to facilitate this access requirement.

For example, The Downs, Bristol, offers a wheelchair-accessible viewing platform. For more information, please visit the festival’s website.

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Distances

For people who would have significant difficulty with walking/ self-propelling a wheelchair for more than a short distance, we have the ‘distances’ symbol to communicate this access requirement with different providers. 

Different providers have their own ways of accommodating this access requirement.

For example, at Windsor Castle bench seating is available at regular intervals in the precincts.

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Access to Toilets

If you require urgent access to the toilet because of your health condition, e.g. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or incontinence, we have the ‘WC’ symbol. This symbol discreetly communicates this access requirement with different providers.

Urgent access to the toilet is a different access requirement to a general need to use an accessible toilet and therefore the ‘WC’ symbol cannot be awarded for the latter. If you would like more information about this, please speak to a member of our team.

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Essential Companions

For those that require a substantial amount of support from another person when out & about, we have the ‘+1’ symbol which indicates to providers that you would need a substantial amount of support to be able to access their facilities.

Different providers have different systems in place to facilitate this access requirement.

For example, Glastonbury Festival accepts Access Cards with the ‘+1’ symbol as proof for a free essential companion ticket.

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Additional Access Requirements

The ‘Additional Access Requirements’ symbol is used to indicate that you have additional access requirements that haven’t already been covered by the other symbols & you can communicate these access requirements with different venues & attractions.

A lot of venues & attractions will include additional information about their events/services on their website. This may include information about the use of strobe lighting & smoke machines during performances. Please refer to each venue’s website for this information.

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Thinking of applying for a Card?

If you think the above would be useful for you and would like to apply for your Access Card you can do so quickly and easily by completing our short online application form and uploading some supporting information confirming your needs.

All applications received from people who have Transverse Myelitis during Transverse Myelitis Day 2021 (9th June 2021) can use the discount code ‘TMDay21’ to get £5 off a three-year Access Card.

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Further Sources of Information, Advice, and Support

Check out our full directory for how these symbols apply at over 1,000 venues in the UK and beyond.

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Transverse Myelitis Society

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“We are a small UK-based charity with over 2000 members whose main aim is to offer support to those who may have, or know someone with, Transverse Myelitis and its associated conditions such as ADEM, Neuro Myelitis Optica (NMO) and others. We are manned by an entirely unpaid voluntary group of people who mostly have TM themselves.”

Transverse Myelitis Society

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Web: https://www.myelitis.org.uk/

Email: info@myelitis.org.uk

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