Around 10 million people have the condition worldwide. Most people who get Parkinson’s are over 60, but one in ten are under 50. – European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA)
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World Parkinson’s Day 2021 is a day in which people will come together to discuss both the progress & developments made in Parkinson’s research. It will also be an opportunity for people to share their experiences of living with the condition, whilst offering support to others.
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Parkinson’s and 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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Essential Companions
For those that require a substantial amount of support from another person (e.g. accessing visual or audible information, or carrying food & drink), we have the ‘+1’ symbol, which indicates to providers that you require a substantial amount of support from another person in order to access a venue’s facilities.
This symbol is widely acknowledged by our providers as an automatic entitlement to free tickets/entry for people providing you with support during your visit.
Different providers have different systems in place to facilitate this access requirement.
For example, We Out Here Festival offers a free essential companion ticket to Access Card Holders who have a ‘+1’ symbol on their cards.
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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 different systems in place to facilitate this access requirement.
For example, Access Card Holders with the ‘Standing & Queuing’ symbol can apply for a Ride Access Pass with Chessington World of Adventures Resort.
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What is a Ride Access Pass?
A Ride Access Pass (RAP) 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 from standing for extended periods of time, or permanently non-ambulant guests.
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Distances
For people who would perhaps have difficulty with walking/ self-propelling a wheelchair for longer distances, 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, in addition to having accessible parking facilities, the Holbeach Music & Beer Festival also offers a shuttle bus that is equipped to assist disabled persons, including designated spaces for wheelchair users.
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Face Mask Exemptions
More recently, throughout COVID, we have had a number of people whose needs mean that they are either unable to put on, wear or remove a face covering, or that they can feel distressed when wearing a face covering and as a response to feedback from our members we now have an additional face mask symbol for those that need it.
There are a number of face mask exemption cards and certificates available in the UK, but we are the only face mask exemption card that offers verification of your exemption.
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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, which can be an issue for people with epilepsy. 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 with Parkinson’s during World Parkinson’s Day 2021 can use the discount code ‘parkinsonsday21’ 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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Parkinson’s UK
“We’re close to major breakthroughs. Funding the right research into the most promising treatments, we get closer to a cure every day.
Until then, we’re here for everyone affected by Parkinson’s. Fighting for fair treatment and better services. Making everyone see its real impact..”
Parkinson’s UK
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Tel: 0808 800 0303 / Text relay: 18001 0808 800 0303 (for textphone users only)
Web: www.parkinsons.org.uk
Email: hello@parkinsons.org.uk
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Cure Parkinson’s
“We’re here for the cure. Everything we do is to move us closer to that goal. But we can’t do it without you. Your donations and your involvement in research will lead to the breakthrough we all want to see.”
Cure Parkinson’s
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Tel: 0207 487 3892
Web: www.cureparkinsons.org.uk/
Email: info@cureparkinsons.org.uk
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