The BBC and Belfast Telegraph have reported that the Grand Opera House in Belfast has been forced to review its wheelchair access scheme after being exploited by people faking a disability to get free tickets.
The theatre employs an Access For All membership scheme which allows people with disabilities to get a free ticket for a carer when they pay for a seat at a show. In order to get these tickets, patrons did not have to prove that they needed special access and the Opera House now has evidence that these tickets are being mis-used.
After more than 3,000 tickets were issued to this scheme last year, new changes are under way. The Opera House released a statement to say:
“We will continue to liaise with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and our in-house disability advisory group to ensure that we maximise this access for those with disabilities and will be monitoring the use of the scheme in the new year before introducing any changes.”
