The greatest barrier to accessing nightlife establishments is the lack of disability awareness training, according to members of the visually impaired community.<\/p>\n
Conditions associated with visual impairments have often been likened to appearing drunk, with some eye conditions presenting eyes as red, shaking, rolling or glazed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many have reported incidents of being turned away by security, not being able to find staff in establishments, not having valid identification cards accepted, and feeling uncomfortable with the idea of asking for help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emma Quigley, a 22-year-old employment coordinator, spoke about her experiences of discrimination<\/a> as someone who is legally blind.<\/p>\n Quigley said: \u201cI have been in a situation when I was with a group of friends and had had one or two drinks but nothing that would make me intoxicated, I was completely fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe bouncer picked me out of the group and told me I was too drunk and that he could see it in my eyes. I told him about my eye condition, and he accused me of lying.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me he remembered me from another occasion and how he had to help me into an Uber, but that was only because I couldn\u2019t see the number plate, not because I was too drunk.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI needed some guidance and help and now he was using it against me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Quigley explained that when she asked the bouncer<\/a> for his name and identification number, he refused to share it.<\/p>\n Despite there being legislations in place to improve physical accessibility<\/a> to many venues, invisible barriers are still hindering the lives of the visually impaired community.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Although there are laws in place to prevent disability<\/a> discrimination \u2013 including the 2010 Equality Act \u2013 it appears this does not go far enough to make an impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n Security guards must go through a government approved training programme in the UK in order to obtain a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA).\u00a0<\/p>\n Yet Daniel Morgan-Williams, the director of Visualise Training and Consultancy, a company which provides courses and training promoting inclusion and equality for employees living with sight or hearing loss, told\u00a0Londoners\u00a0that disability awareness training is not part of the SIA programme.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said: \u201cDisability awareness training needs to be standard across the board for every industry. Any organisation or business that has customers, or is customer based, should have training.<\/p>\n \u201cKnowledge is power and if we are all more knowledgeable then we can make more informed decisions, being aware of other people\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Morgan-Williams acknowledged the duty of care security guards have to protect individuals inside the establishment they are working for, but he highlighted the need for communicating and asking the right questions to ensure this is done fairly.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said a lot of people with visual impairments do not always present obvious signs and symptoms, as not everyone carries a cane or has a guide dog, which is why it is important to listen to individuals before denying them entry.\u00a0<\/p>\n Barriers to nightlife<\/a> establishments for the visually impaired community extend beyond initial first judgements on intoxication levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n Abi Way, a 22-year-old student, recalled her experiences of having her citizens PASS card rejected even though it is a legal form of identification.\u00a0<\/p>\n Way said: \u201cIt is a legal form of ID so they should not have the right to reject it because it means that people like me, who can\u2019t drive, can\u2019t get into certain bars and nightclubs just because they have decided they do not want to let us in.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have tried to explain in the past that it is a legal form of ID, and why I do not have a license, but the response I usually get is rude.\u201d<\/p>\n A Freedom of Information request<\/a> to the SIA evidenced that the proof of age PASS card is on a registered list of acceptable forms of identification for on the door entry.\u00a0<\/p>\n The repercussions of these barriers to nightclub entry also have impacts on mental health<\/a> and confidence, according to the visually impaired community.\u00a0<\/p>\n Morgan-Williams said: \u201cPeople get anxious at the prospect of getting turned away from clubs, they get afraid so they might choose not to go out. This can lead to isolation, low confidence and low self-esteem.\u201d<\/p>\n All interviewees also reported knowing individuals that would no longer go out due to these factors.<\/p>\n There are over 60,000<\/a> people who are registered as blind<\/a> or partially sighted living in the 12 inner boroughs of London<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n