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"Dreams can come true: But only the Princess' Carriage is Accessible"

Ellie Mullis
Guest Blogger

Almost everybody that you could ask, would admit to having a dream. 

Sometimes it’s entirely plausible; others, it would take a miracle to encounter. 

When you’re experiencing life in a disabled body, you have to come to terms with the fact that a lot of the adventures you once longed for are unlikely to happen to you. Not necessarily because your body isn’t capable – almost certainly due to the fact that the world we live in is largely inaccessible.

The thing about accessibility is that it’s often not thought about until you’re in need of it. Development teams will meet the basic requirements, such as the measurements of a wheelchair, but fail to account for much beyond that. It means that a lot of the time, wheelchair users are accustomed to letting go of the dreams or plans for days out, because the fact remains that just getting there can be such a challenge.

Ascot Racecourse tickets
Ellie in a WAV

That’s why something like Open Road Access is such a big deal to the community. In the simple act of providing Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles means that, suddenly, all of these doors that you had accepted to be locked have been knocked down. Opportunities you’d ruled out have come back to life, and places that you thought you’d never get to see are there, waiting for you. The door burst open, and the team at Proximo invited me to celebrate it at an event that I would’ve never guessed I could attend: the Royal Ascot.

Everything was so easy; a WAV picking me up at my front door, whisking me away with so much ease that there was a moment where I simply forgot about the hassle that could come with being a wheelchair user.

The sad reality is that while ORA are changing the game, the rest of the world is still lacking. As soon as we arrived, that dream came back to lying on the cold, hard ground (or at least the dry, matted grass).

I want it to be clear that I mean no disrespect to the team at Ascot. Many of the issues faced could be swiftly resolved with open communication and accessibility education. But the point remains – for an event at this magnitude, given how high profile it is, some of the accessibility issues were really disappointing to a wheelchair user.

Starting with when we pulled up to our assigned car park; parking attendants couldn’t answer where was best for a wheelchair-user to park, and could only gesture towards the steep incline pathway of at least 10 minutes that I had to be pushed up. When we did reach the top, there was a car drop-off directly opposite from the main entrance.

Once through the gates, we were mesmerised by the fabulous backdrops for photo opportunities. Yet every single one required at least one step to access.

Up at the restaurant where we spent most of the day, we had a huge balcony for everyone to observe the races. Except, this had two steps halfway forward. The more people drank, the less concerned they were with whether I could see. Although there were TV screens throughout that showed footage of the races, none of them had subtitles or interpreters. Even down to leaving; there was no way out except through a steady onslaught of crowds that had little signposting to follow. The streets were absolutely crammed, and if it weren’t for a pair of intoxicated ladies that declared themselves my ‘bodyguards’ and screamed for people to move, I don’t know how long it would’ve taken to find the car. And when we did, it was down a grassy slope that slid against my breaks and steered me into one of the metal barriers.

Arrival at Ascot
Ascot Balcony
Disability Notice
Ellie at Royal Ascot

To their credit, there were absolutely features that Ascot included – accessible toilets with signs indicating the importance of keeping the emergency cord on the floor, every staff member inside the event addressed *me* as opposed to my mum pushing the chair, and there were no issues with me navigating the restaurant space in a wheelchair. But the fact remains that if an event of such prestige may have areas to still develop in terms of accessibility, it doesn’t offer much hope or faith in regards to the occasions that are of a smaller scale.

It comes down to this: when events are inaccessible in any way, it sends out the message that wheelchair users and disabled patrons are not considered, and therefore they do not feel welcomed. So, less of us even attempt to attend such events, and there appears to be no demand for things to change. A continuing cycle, that no one in particular feels responsible for changing.

I would challenge any event or establishment to go beyond the bare minimum when it comes to accessibility. Covering the basics is a starting point, and I am of the opinion that you cannot declare something as fully accessible until you can completely say that an experience will be equal between an able guest, and their disabled counterpart. In order to have that, there has to be the involvement of the disabled community in the development process, opposed to as an afterthought. To admitting that there are areas out of your expertise and consulting with people directly to answer the questions that come up.

We all have to start somewhere, and it begins with a productive conversation. 

Disabled people are talking.
Are you listening?

Ascot Responds to Accessibility Concerns: Commitment to Improvement and Engagement with Community Feedback

After reaching out to Ascot for comment on Ellie’s experience, we received a thoughtful response. Ascot’s Access Officer welcomed our feedback and reiterated their commitment to providing an accessible environment for all racegoers. They highlighted recent initiatives such as improved viewing platforms, accessibility tours, sunflower lanyards, a dedicated quiet space, and a sensory room for neurodivergent individuals.

“Improving accessibility at all our events is something that we are working extremely hard on at the moment, and we hope we have made some significant progress in recent years,” said Ascot’s Access Officer.

They acknowledged the challenges Ellie faced, stating, “Clearly, reading Ellie’s blog about her experience, there is more that we can do, and we are aware of that.”

“We would welcome a further conversation with Ellie in advance of what will hopefully be a repeat visit in 2025,” continued the Access Officer.

They assured that all feedback would be incorporated into their debrief process and reviewed by their Accessibility Working Group.

Open Road Access Commends Ascot’s Commitment to Inclusivity and Continued Collaboration for Enhanced Accessibility

“Ascot’s efforts to improve accessibility are crucial in creating a welcoming environment for all visitors,” said David Dew-Veal, Director of Strategy and Innovation, Proximo Group.

“As a business dedicated to providing accessible vehicles for wheelchair users, ORA values collaboration with venues and organisations to ensure seamless access for all. We, along with Ellie, look forward to working alongside Ascot and other partners to improve accessibility and inclusivity across all aspects of community life,” continued David.

Shape the Future of Accessible Air Travel webinar

Thursday 7th November 2024

12:00 PM (1hr event)

Join Open Road Access and the Rights on Flights campaign for a crucial discussion which will shape the future of air travel. We need to hear from members of the community to create a plan for change and make accessibility not just a promise, but a necessity.

Register Here