Charity says pubs fail the disabled

by John Harrington Just 10% of pubs tested in the "sting" campaign to expose venues with inadequate disabled toilets made the grade, initial reports suggest. Tests revealed that while many pubs ­ particularly managed bars ­ had taken steps to provide good toilets for disabled customers, several had done little or nothing to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Pubs that don't comply with the DDA ­ which says "reasonable adjustments" should have been made to allow disabled access by 1 October ­ risk prosecution from the Disability Rights Commission if a complaint is made. The Morning Advertiser has seen the findings from stings, carried out on 1 October, in two towns and the centre of Cardiff as part of disability charity Scope's Free2Pee campaign. Among the more positive sights from Cardiff was the disabled toilet in the Walkabout branch on St Marys Street, which was in good order and had a lock on the door ­ an item often overlooked, Scope said. But Scope's Kelly Atherton, who co-ordinated the Cardiff sting, said results elsewhere were less encouraging. "There were a number [of pubs] we were unable to get into due to steps or flights of stairs. Also, a number had no accessible toilet when we were in; one had two mop buckets, and a barstool in it! "We had discussions with the staff at all the pubs we went into ­ some were aware of the DDA legislation, others had no idea." The report from Colwyn Bay, north Wales, praised the good access, helpful staff and decentsized disabled toilet at one managed bar. But the test on another premises was abandoned because the lift was too small to hold a handler plus the wheelchair, or a larger electric wheelchair. A pub in nearby Rhos-on-Sea had good disabled toilets, but it required two people to hold open both external double doors for customers in wheelchairs to enter. Campaigners in Beeston, Notts, found that one bar had relocated all toilets from the ground floor to the basement ­ down a flight of steps ­ when the venue was refurbished. Scope campaigns officer Andrew Crooks said that results so far showed a "paltry" 10% of pubs had made the necessary changes to allow disabled access. The final Free2Pee report, due in mid-November, "will insist the Government introduces wider powers within anti-discrimination legislation to protect the rights of disabled people," Crooks said.