Disabled access

[sldmodels]

When you look about how to do it John, any "official" advice will probably only tell you how to put it together for the "standard" wheelchair user, and there's no such thing. Have a word with your local shopmobility people, and they should be able to give you a good idea, as they'll know lots of wheelchair users.

As cold as those toilet seats in the toilet block get though, the idea of pre-warmed seats is just wrong

[neil1967]

Again thank you all for your replys, John i must admit the toilets were a bit naff and bloody cold but at least you have a rostrum so thank you. Yes i have been to clubs and offered to pay but i am afraid that they were un-interested so i guess maybe its time to hang up my racing shoes, anyone wanna buy a 1/8th rally cross xray sorry, and a mardave

[SlowOne]

Going back a lot of years, we had a racer in a wheelchair and he went to extraordinary lengths to get a rostrum-level view of the track. However, one venue put on a small lift, probably something like a fork-truck, but with a platform and a rail round it.

Perhaps instead of the usual ramped affair, we could find something like this and hire it for big events, or the club might buy one. It takes up the space of one rostrum spot, and because it is a vertical lift, it comes to ground level for the driver to get the wheelchair on and off.

Just a thought...

[sldmodels]

The only issue with a lift, is that lifts can break down. I remember me and Sam went to a club in Birmingham a few years ago during the day for a market they'd put on, and on the top floor they had a demo on. The club in question has two lifts, well, both of them broke down while Sam was 2 floors up. If he'd have been in his manual wheelchair, then no problem, he'd have had to come down the stairs on his bum while someone brought his chair down, but he was in his powerchair, which isn't the lightest thing thing in the world. He did however get a small army of helpers lifting him and the chair down 2 flights (I can't remember what I was doing at the time, possibly trying to find someone to help).

[David Church]

Originally Posted by neil1967

Again thank you all for your replys, John i must admit the toilets were a bit naff and bloody cold but at least you have a rostrum so thank you. Yes i have been to clubs and offered to pay but i am afraid that they were un-interested so i guess maybe its time to hang up my racing shoes, anyone wanna buy a 1/8th rally cross xray sorry, and a mardave

Nooooooo don't do it!!!! I see a small problem, your not a 1/10 off road racer!!!
I personally have found the 1/10 off road scene to be the nicest and most helpful racers ever. Don't sell all your stuff, don't give up, keep racing

[taz5311]

I too am a disabled driver and need to use a wheelchair.
I have raced 1/10th at a number of tracks around the UK and as yet have not found one with access to the rostrum, so I am having to use my sticks to climb the stairs. This infact makes my day a lot more physically and mentally challenging. Not been to ardent yet but nice to see a venue that has the forsight to include a ramp.

I appreciate that many clubs will not neccessarily have the space in order to install a ramp nor the funds to buy or build one especially if it will only be used by the odd visitor. But as a hobby that is open to all, and covers drivers up to both national and international levels should it really be down to the disabled person to do all the pushing and drive to have access?

Just think how much more we as members and the BRCA as a group could open this up to others who are currently missing out on the sport.

[neil1967]

The thing is i am fully in the chair no ifs no butts i am unable to walk up or down stairs at all, been like this for 4 years now my life changed overnight but hey life goes on.

Anyway reading Radio Control Car Racer the Feb 2011 edition there is an article in there from a race meeting where the rostrum was not big enough for this race meeting so they made an extension, again i undersdtand but surely if some clubs can make an extension they could make a lift? or even a two step ramp that everyone could use not just people in chairs, this then does away with the need for stairs slippery at most times etc.

[cr1tch]

if your ever up north near Blackpool and want to race, please visit this club its got a ramp rostrum, disabled loos and lots on pit space... only roblem is getting up to theclub as its up sum stair but if you cotact Damo or Danny the main guys at the club they will be more than happy to help you get up the stairs and carry ur kit etc....... check pics on web site hope this helps....... http://www.brccc.co.uk/

[neil1967]

Hi Cr1tch

Thanks for your reply but again, as i am fully in the chair getting to the venue is via stairs so again that would present a problem for me, apart from that the club seems ideal, but thank you all for your replys it means a lot, cheers again

Neil

[Dave Treacy]

MKRCTC has disabled access at Millmead Hall.
Moto-Arena has disabled access as well.

[rbridd]

One thing you may want to bear in mind is that the clubs themselves are wary of health and safety.

As the club is not a PLC, the committee members themselves are liable for anything which goes wrong.

All the while there is no wheelchair access, it's not a problem, but if you TRY to provide wheelchair access, then it has to be right. Just sticking a ramp up isn't the answer, there are rules about width, steepness, materials, traction... and I can't imagine the fallout that would happen, if a lift, which in most cases would need to be temporary, were to go wrong and injure anyone.

All club officials are volunteers, the clubs themselves are non-profit making organisations, in some cases loss making. Most will not have the legal expertise to navigate this kind of issue, and cannot afford the legal advice necessary.
Providing disabled access opens up a whole legal can of worms, which I imagine, most would rather avoid.

[eyeayen]

Surely this is something the BRCA should be able to help with and also get behind. They could also get a clubs with wheelchair access on their site so you could at least check it out from there.

[mattJT]

Three of the new amendments to the DDA 1995, amended 2005

Amend the way that the DDA 1995 applies to group insurance to clarify the responsibilities of those concerned with its provisions.

Introduce for Part 3 of the DDA 1995 (i.e. access to goods and services, public authorities, private clubs and premises) a Questions Procedure similar to that, which already exists in Part 2 (i.e. employment and occupation).

Make it unlawful for private clubs with 25 or more members to treat disabled people less favourably


(with DDA 1995 however comes the phrase "reasonably practicable")


Another interesting one is the Social Model of Disability, whereby it's societies barriers that dis-ables the person and not the persons disability (that causes the barriers).

[mark christopher]

here we go human rights blah blah blah, while i fully feel for those less fortunate to be able bodied, to force clubs to cater for them could see many disapear. to fit a lift is brilliant in an ideal world, but how much? it would need power, and a saftey certificate, some one to maintain and operate it.
how many clubs have tempory rostrums?, as suggested a pallet and folk lift, no who has a licence for it and is covered to lift somone up on it?? try a risk assesment on that ( yup more H&S crap)

you could build a ramp to the rostrum for all to use but you would need a far less steeper angle of stairs to the rostrum level, or a double flight, then the slope if too steep is a slip hazard.

here a sugestion, two scafold planks each side of the steps, leaving steps in the middle and a 4x4 12 volt winch to pull chair up and down?

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by cr1tch

if your ever up north near Blackpool and want to race, please visit this club its got a ramp rostrum, disabled loos and lots on pit space... only problem is getting up to the club as its up sum stair but if you cotact Damo or Danny the main guys at the club they will be more than happy to help you get up the stairs and carry ur kit etc....... check pics on web site hope this helps....... http://www.brccc.co.uk/

class lol
cater for em but they carnt get in!

[David Church]

You have a way with words Mark. Reading your comments has made me smile

[mattJT]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

here we go human rights blah blah blah, while i fully feel for those less fortunate to be able bodied, to force clubs to cater for them could see many disapear. to fit a lift is brilliant in an ideal world, but how much? it would need power, and a saftey certificate, some one to maintain and operate it.
how many clubs have tempory rostrums?, as suggested a pallet and folk lift, no who has a licence for it and is covered to lift somone up on it?? try a risk assesment on that ( yup more H&S crap)

you could build a ramp to the rostrum for all to use but you would need a far less steeper angle of stairs to the rostrum level, or a double flight, then the slope if too steep is a slip hazard.

here a sugestion, two scafold planks each side of the steps, leaving steps in the middle and a 4x4 12 volt winch to pull chair up and down?

The two words that are inherently linked to the DDA and HASAW are reasonably practicable as mentioned in the post:

What is reasonable for my business?

You should consider the following when deciding what sort of change is likely to be reasonable for your company:

• Type of business
• Size of the business and annual turnover
• Cost of the adjustment
• Disruption to the business while the work is being carried out
• Practicality of carrying out the adjustment
• Potential benefits to disabled customers and employees

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by David Church

You have a way with words Mark. Reading your comments has made me smile

i try

brooklands is the only on road track i know off with wheel chair access. though its a platform half the height of the main rostrum.................... mind least its half way there

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by mattJT

The two words that are inherently linked to the DDA and HASAW are reasonably practicable as mentioned in the post:

What is reasonable for my business?





You should consider the following when deciding what sort of change is likely to be reasonable for your company:

• Type of business
• Size of the business and annual turnover
• Cost of the adjustment
• Disruption to the business while the work is being carried out
• Practicality of carrying out the adjustment
• Potential benefits to disabled customers and employees

what the F does that have to do with the real world and model car racing/clubs ..... note clubs (guys playing with toy cars) not comercial venue

[mattJT]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

what the F does that have to do with the real world and model car racing/clubs ..... note clubs (guys playing with toy cars) not comercial venue

Simples, the DDA does cover rc clubs if there's 25 members.

As for being reasonably practicable, that covers the implementation of the DDA, so yes, it is applicable, (Whether it's guys playing with toy cars or a load of nan's knitting).


The 'private club' provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act apply to any association of people, if:

• it has 25 or more members
• it does not matter whether the club's activities are carried out for profit, nor whether the club is corporate or unincorporated.