Disabled woman ‘turned away from viewing platform at George Ezra gig despite wristband’
A disabled woman claims she was unable to see at a George Ezra gig after being ‘turned away’ from the viewing platform – despite having an access wristband.
Faith Martin attended the concert in Finsbury Park on Sunday, July 17, but says she “had to leave” the accessibility viewing platform.
MyLondon reported Faith had attended a number of concerts held in Finsbury Park over the weekend including Brit Award winner Sam Fender on Friday.
She also attend a Community Festival held on Saturday, with the likes of Two Door Cinema Club and The Wombats performing along with George Ezra playing his biggest headline show to date on Sunday.
She said: “The wheelchair platform was at full capacity so those with access wristbands were being turned away despite the fact there were no other safe alternatives.
“Lots of wheelchair users were left at the bottom of the platform on the field unable to see anything and some were being boxed in at the barrier near the stage.
“I managed to speak to someone more senior who agreed that there needed to be a second platform and assured me he would make sure security would assist those left without access immediately.”
Faith said the concerts she attended on Friday and Saturday were “near the same”, but added that she “was able to find a space” and “the other two days were enjoyable for me”.
According to Festival Republic’s website – the organisers of the concerts in Finsbury Park – ticket holders apply for access to the accessible viewing platform prior to the event.
A map of the George Ezra event in Finsbury Park displays a total of three accessibility viewing platforms.
Faith said: “There was another viewing platform for the second stage but the second stage was closed on Sunday.
“I had to get someone to help me because I got stuck in a ditch on Sunday. Also, the temporary ramps were not stable in any way making it quite dangerous to get around.
“To get to the disabled entrance you had to go up a hill and walk for a good 10-15 minutes past the main entrance.”
She said that she would like to see future festivals improve access for disabled people: “I would like to see that staff have the appropriate training and understanding on disability inclusion.
“I also hope that future festivals work with disabled people to ensure the access they are offering is actually accessible.”
Festival Republic has been approached for comment.
Right here is the perfect blog for anyone who really wants to understand this topic. You know so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need toÖHaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a topic which has been written about for ages. Great stuff, just wonderful!
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, however I really thought you would have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something you could possibly fix if you werent too busy searching for attention.
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this particular one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I actually believed you would probably have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something that you could possibly fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.