Accessing the Blue Dot Festival
Jul. 10th, 2018 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cosmolinguistI am going to go see one of my favorite bands at a festival at Jodrell Bank next Friday!
This is obviously inherently exciting and awesome anyway, of course. But it also feels like much more of an achievement than it should be.
I really wanted to go but knew I wouldn't do it on my own. I thought it was worth looking into whetehr this is one of those places that allows someone to come along for free/cheap with a disabled person if the disabled person needs them. I talked about looking into this a few weeks ago and then so much of life got in the way that I didn't get around to looking into it until yesterday.
It is possible to get a "PA Ticket," but the means of doing so is the most bizarre set-up for this I've ever heard. At cinemas, theatres, and other places that offer this accommodation, you obtain the tickets in the same way as any others: you book them, pick them up, pay for them, whatever, all the same as any other tickets you might be buying. The Blue Dot Festival, however, requires you to buy one ticket and then once you have the booking reference code to fill out a form that allowed you to request for a PA Ticket.
At which point I'd long missed the deadline for "access applications." Disabled people, as is so often the case, are given harsher deadlines to meet than abled people, while being inherently less able to meet them. Despite often, by the nature of our disabilities, being less able to keep on top of our to-do lists, we're often required to organize ourselves to more stringent deadlines (see for example the fact that you have to book at least 24 hours in advance if you want assistance when traveling by train) for the ease of the abled people managing us.
You might think disabled people are particularly likely to be penalized by a system that requires executive function, time, money and energy to plan ahead. I couldn't possibly comment.
Andrew emailed to ask about this and got a reply that included a link to the form, so even though it's past the deadline he bought my ticket and I did the form anyway.
In order to have your access needs considered, you need to have proof of already buying a ticket -- which, if the access needs are not met would end up being a waste of money, unless they make it very easy to refund tickets! -- and you need supporting evidence.
All disabled people will recognize "supporting evidence" means "gatekeeping." The list of what the Blue Dot Festival will accept is...interesting:
Also, as we all know, there are tons of disabled people who aren't getting DLA or PIP, because the government is refusing it to some very sick and disabled people. I have the worst survivor's guilt just for currently having it myself, when friends more disabled have been denied or are just too afraid of the system to apply. A DLA/PIP letter is not proof that someone is disabled.
I don't know as much about some of the other evidence they'll accept, but I actually just noticed now that the bullet point relevant to me says not just "registered as sight impaired" but "registered as being severely sight impaired." This is what's colloquially referred to as the difference between partially-sighted and blind (and while I use partially-sighted as the label for myself becasue I think it's more accurate, I am technically registered severely sight impaired; I am legally no different from a person who cannot see anything at all). And this distinction is also fairly bullshit, as I demonstrate by having one label that's most accurate for me and yet the other as my legal status. This registration happens on the basis of visual acuity and visual field, and it doesn't take into account a lot of the things that actually disable me, like the variable effects of the nystagmus, the cumulative exhaustion of visual processing (especially in new places and crowds, both of which this will be), etc. I don't know how much better my scores would've had to be to get me registered as sight impaired rather than severely sight impaired, but I don't expect it would be enough that I'd be able to go to a festival on my own! I wish this criteria just asked for registration of sight impairment rather than specifying severe sight impairment.
So anyway, I did my form, excitedly told the friend I'm going to the festival with (I could have taken Andrew but he won't like any of the music, and while he could stitch together an enjoyable day for himself from the science talks and 2001 screening and etc, it seemed nicer to take my fellow Public Service Broadcasting friend with me), and then really quite quickly got an email (from access@...) that said "Hi Holly, Thanks for sending us an application. I can confirm that your application has been approved. I will be sending out an information pack this week which should hopefully answer any questions that you may have."
A short while later I got another eamil from the same address that seemed more automated: "Thanks for your e mail. Access Applications for Bluedot Festival 2018 are now closed. If you have any issues with an existing application, please send us an e mail." So I'm pretty sure the first one, that seems to involve a human and gives every impression of the existence of my "PA ticket" but doesn't actually say so, overrides the second one brushing me off? But I will certainly be looking out for that "information pack" in the post! I do indeed have questions I hope it will answer!
I'm cautiously optimistic, but exhausted.
This is obviously inherently exciting and awesome anyway, of course. But it also feels like much more of an achievement than it should be.
I really wanted to go but knew I wouldn't do it on my own. I thought it was worth looking into whetehr this is one of those places that allows someone to come along for free/cheap with a disabled person if the disabled person needs them. I talked about looking into this a few weeks ago and then so much of life got in the way that I didn't get around to looking into it until yesterday.
It is possible to get a "PA Ticket," but the means of doing so is the most bizarre set-up for this I've ever heard. At cinemas, theatres, and other places that offer this accommodation, you obtain the tickets in the same way as any others: you book them, pick them up, pay for them, whatever, all the same as any other tickets you might be buying. The Blue Dot Festival, however, requires you to buy one ticket and then once you have the booking reference code to fill out a form that allowed you to request for a PA Ticket.
At which point I'd long missed the deadline for "access applications." Disabled people, as is so often the case, are given harsher deadlines to meet than abled people, while being inherently less able to meet them. Despite often, by the nature of our disabilities, being less able to keep on top of our to-do lists, we're often required to organize ourselves to more stringent deadlines (see for example the fact that you have to book at least 24 hours in advance if you want assistance when traveling by train) for the ease of the abled people managing us.
You might think disabled people are particularly likely to be penalized by a system that requires executive function, time, money and energy to plan ahead. I couldn't possibly comment.
Andrew emailed to ask about this and got a reply that included a link to the form, so even though it's past the deadline he bought my ticket and I did the form anyway.
In order to have your access needs considered, you need to have proof of already buying a ticket -- which, if the access needs are not met would end up being a waste of money, unless they make it very easy to refund tickets! -- and you need supporting evidence.
All disabled people will recognize "supporting evidence" means "gatekeeping." The list of what the Blue Dot Festival will accept is...interesting:
- Front page of DLA letter with PIP letter
- Front page of Attendance Allowance letter
- Evidence of being registered as severely sight impaired (blind)
- Recognised Assistance Dog ID card
- Valid Access Card showing you require a +1 to accompany you
Also, as we all know, there are tons of disabled people who aren't getting DLA or PIP, because the government is refusing it to some very sick and disabled people. I have the worst survivor's guilt just for currently having it myself, when friends more disabled have been denied or are just too afraid of the system to apply. A DLA/PIP letter is not proof that someone is disabled.
I don't know as much about some of the other evidence they'll accept, but I actually just noticed now that the bullet point relevant to me says not just "registered as sight impaired" but "registered as being severely sight impaired." This is what's colloquially referred to as the difference between partially-sighted and blind (and while I use partially-sighted as the label for myself becasue I think it's more accurate, I am technically registered severely sight impaired; I am legally no different from a person who cannot see anything at all). And this distinction is also fairly bullshit, as I demonstrate by having one label that's most accurate for me and yet the other as my legal status. This registration happens on the basis of visual acuity and visual field, and it doesn't take into account a lot of the things that actually disable me, like the variable effects of the nystagmus, the cumulative exhaustion of visual processing (especially in new places and crowds, both of which this will be), etc. I don't know how much better my scores would've had to be to get me registered as sight impaired rather than severely sight impaired, but I don't expect it would be enough that I'd be able to go to a festival on my own! I wish this criteria just asked for registration of sight impairment rather than specifying severe sight impairment.
So anyway, I did my form, excitedly told the friend I'm going to the festival with (I could have taken Andrew but he won't like any of the music, and while he could stitch together an enjoyable day for himself from the science talks and 2001 screening and etc, it seemed nicer to take my fellow Public Service Broadcasting friend with me), and then really quite quickly got an email (from access@...) that said "Hi Holly, Thanks for sending us an application. I can confirm that your application has been approved. I will be sending out an information pack this week which should hopefully answer any questions that you may have."
A short while later I got another eamil from the same address that seemed more automated: "Thanks for your e mail. Access Applications for Bluedot Festival 2018 are now closed. If you have any issues with an existing application, please send us an e mail." So I'm pretty sure the first one, that seems to involve a human and gives every impression of the existence of my "PA ticket" but doesn't actually say so, overrides the second one brushing me off? But I will certainly be looking out for that "information pack" in the post! I do indeed have questions I hope it will answer!
I'm cautiously optimistic, but exhausted.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-10 05:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-10 07:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-10 09:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-10 09:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-10 10:01 pm (UTC)I looked at the last one, the valid access card at one point http://www.accesscard.org.uk/faqs/ which seemed quite sensible overall in a trying to solve a difficult problem and focus on 'accommodations needed' rather than "iz Impairment - free for all assumptions time". They seem to be more broad in evidence they'll take in that they are disabled led and would probably cover that partially/severely sight impaired distinction you absolutely as ever nail as WTAFery.
But getting round to it... haha fuck disability paperwork. fuck it all in the ear. But I am tempted as my mobility is shit and my vision is shit and probably going to remain so...
Glad the deadline could be extended, but sad they had an earlier crips deadline... Hope you have a FAB concert and the assistance you are ABSOLUTELY entitled to is helpful. And that it feels easy in a joyful way that non disableds just take for fucking granted.
(Apologies for effiness of this post... Just heard the latest DSA fuckery... They have an online DSA form - amazing - it's only taken them NINE fucking years... but you can't attach evidence to the online thinger (cos that's like hard computeriness), so you have to post that separately... Except most of the applicants are poor at reading cos impairment, and 18, and not cynical enough in the ways of #HostileEnvironment or #DisabilityBureaucracy so don't realise they have to attach... SFE don't chase "pended" application until BigNum months after evidence not received... Funnily enough, they have 25,000 DSA apps in BACKLOG... SFE will probably prod these students in September, at which point there'll be an even bigger madrush deluge than usual! Well the Fuck Done SFE, You Completely Fuckwitted, Incompetent, Ridiculous Fucknuggets!
Read and weep! Or swear, a lot!)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-11 06:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-11 06:32 pm (UTC)Yay PSB! I knew I liked you :-) Have you been to one of their gigs before? They are magical. They're the only band I've ever seen shock the audience into silence (with two different songs no less!).
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-12 05:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-12 11:39 am (UTC)