Kizzy and her mum, Kathy, have some brilliant schemes to share with you, particularly if you’re into theatre!
Finding help for ourselves
Mum and I were emotionally exhausted after being passed from pillar to post with medical professionals. Our funds were tight, morale was low and trips out were filled with anxiety and stress.
It all began to change when I researched into some schemes…
After collecting all the necessary information to submit a Blue Badge application, I waited three weeks until I decided to chase its progress. Unfortunately, I was put on hold and ended up playing phone tag with someone to finally be told that the application had been sat on someone’s desk and not looked at. Something else I discovered was the doctors and council do not work harmoniously – one can only fax and the other email.
Eventually, after 6 weeks, the blue badge finally arrived in the post. I immediately convinced mum to come out for a few hours to give it a try, and we headed over to Merthyr Tydfil and revisited some of our old haunts. Having the blue badge parking instantly gave mum the confidence to enjoy getting out and about again. Since having the badge, we have learnt there are some great options when planning days out.
Discovering fantastic perks
I first contacted the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff to ask how accessible the arena was for mum and her walking frame. The person on the phone was very kind and explained all the different ways we could attend a show. They also explained the Live Access Scheme. Motorpoint Arena Cardiff offer complimentary tickets for the carer/personal assistant of someone with a disability through their Live Access Scheme.
When you book tickets on this scheme, you will be sent a receipt in the post to take along with your ID to the box office. We find that the box office area can be a little chaotic before a show, but we try to stay calm and give ourselves plenty of time. The staff are lovely and they have a designated team member to escort all disabled guests to their seats, there are also plenty of disabled toilets around the arena.
And more perks!
The Wales Millennium Centre and New Theatre supports disabled guests under a different scheme called the Hynt card, so I also filled out those forms and soon we received a card in the post. We are yet to visit either theatre using the card, however, we have booked tickets to see the Nativity in November.
The third and only disabled access card we have had to pay for is the CEA card for the cinema, this card is £6 a year and allows one free carer to accompany mum.
If anyone is interested in any of the schemes, you can find the links below.
