THEME PARK SORRY AFTER STAFF TOLD DISABLED WOMAN TO ‘GET OFF RIDE’
Alton Towers has now made improvements since visit
ALTON Towers is taking steps to improve the visitor experience for disabled families after more than 47,000 people signed a petition.
The online campaign was started by the family of a woman with cerebral palsy, who was turned away from several rides on a trip there last week.
Wheelchair user Hannah Cheetham – a self-confessed ‘adrenalin junkie’ – had visited the theme park as a birthday treat for her sister Becky and Becky’s partner Lucy.
But it wasn’t until they lifted Hannah into a seat on the popular Rita ride that they were told she would have to get off as she couldn’t walk unaided.
In an emotional post on social media, Becky Cheetham said it had ‘ruined their day’ and they were reduced to tears by the insensitive attitude of staff. In the end, Hannah, from Manchester, was only allowed on children’s rides, despite being in her thirties.
Now Alton Towers has invited the family to return to see the improvements it is making.
Katie Mcbirnie, head of product excellence, said: “We are deeply sorry for this incident, which falls well below the high expectations we have for our employees.
“At Alton Towers Resort, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive resort and we really value the feedback that Hannah and Becky have given us. We have certainly listened and we want to do better.”
The petition on the change.org website called for staff to be given disability awareness training. In just one week, it has attracted 47,846 signatures.
Katie confirmed additional training is now in place that ‘focuses on communications around ride restrictions to guests with disabilities’.
She added: “We are delighted that Hannah and Becky have accepted our offer to come back to discuss the changes we have made and will continue to make.”
The Moorlands theme park said its top priority was visitor safety and some rides had restrictions set by manufacturers.
But in her Facebook post, Becky said her sister had been able to use all the rides on previous visits without any issues.
During the trip on September 28, they obtained a disability access band and then headed for the Smiler. But Becky spotted a sign by the rollercoaster, saying users must be able to walk 25 metres unaided. She mentioned it to a member of staff.
Becky said: “The lady then turned to her co-worker and shouted across, ‘She can’t walk’, and shut the door behind us.
“My issues with this situation is Hannah is a human. Please speak to her directly. Do not embarrass her by shouting out her insecurities across the ride for a crowd of people to hear.
“We passed three lots of workers, and not one of them thought to explain the rules of the ride before we got up there and had to turn around.”
Then they headed to Rita, where Becky lifted Hannah into a seat and workers strapped her in.
As thrill-seekers were ready to start, a member of staff asked if Hannah could walk unaided in case the ride broke down. She was told to get off in front of everyone else.
They were later offered a refund after spending £40 per ticket.
“I have never experienced such a horrendous level of customer service,” said Becky.
She highlighted how some other theme parks allow people with disabilities to ride if they have someone assisting them.