Taking your back out and about


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Taking your back out and about

Helpline volunteers, Frances Blackwell, Teresa Sawicka and Vicki Soul, all London based, offer their tips on having a social life with a bad back.

As a theatre and cinema lover, Frances was very concerned about problems with sitting after damaging her back. Never one to be defeated in a crisis, Frances explored the situation to discover that there appears no blanket/corporate policy with any groups but found being direct and honest when booking tickets was quite productive. Frances found cinemas to be accommodating when booking tickets asking for row ends, and has never had any concerns with standing at the back. Unfortunately, online booking does not allow for special seating requests.

Teresa’s advise is to plan well before hand, find out about lifts and stairs and disabled parking, and to choose films and plays that are not longer than 120 minutes or have an interval. Teresa recommends ordering an aisle seat being honest about difficulties and says matinees are always a good idea. Once the lights have gone down you can do your own thing!

The CEA (Cinematograph Exhibitors Association) allows free tickets to carers. Application forms are available at participating cinemas and the scheme is nationwide. It costs £5 to register for three years. The cinema logs your card and, while there is still some confusion as to what rates to charge, the use of the card has not been questioned. A list of participating cinemas can be found on CEA’s website www.eacard.co.uk. Vicki has found one cinema chain, the ‘Vue’ cinemas, that allows her to lie across a number of seats at non-peak times.

Both Frances and Vicki agree that theatres are a different story. It is a bit more hit and miss but generally best to be clear about personal difficulties when booking and not allowing yourself to be intimidated by staff who are not fully aware of your personal circumstances. Vicki bemoans the general mind-set of the non-disabled that disability equals wheel chair. Frances often finds that the information has not been passed to the usher who is in the theatre throughout the show, and they immediately raise the issue of health and safety as soon as they find you are intending to lie down, stretch or stand up through a performance. However, Frances, has learnt to stand her ground by telling them that they too are not in an allocated seat and are thus proving as much a health and safety risk as a customer who is standing at the back!

The best approach with theatre going is to be as honest about the best way for you to get maximum enjoyment and in most cases the individual theatres will do their utmost to help. Remember when paying for tickets to state you are disabled as carers generally get a discount. There does not appear to be an overall policy for this but, with the price of theatre tickets ever increasing, it is worth asking!

The Society of London Theatre has a policy of accessibility for all disabled but, as helpful and considerate as this is, the individual theatres then have to use their own discretion as to how best to accommodate people who have the need to stand, lay or move around during a performance. Both the Richmond and Wimbledon theatres are most understanding and considerate of customers with a wide range of disabilities. They will do their best to accommodate you in the auditorium. Richmond Theatre has won a number of awards as a result.

The National Theatre, Albery Theatre, Gielgud Theatre, the English National Opera at the Coliseum, and the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, have been particularly helpful to Teresa and allowed her to move around. Outdoor venues such as National Trust Concerts do not usually have seating (check before you book) so you can do your own thing at these.

For art lovers, Teresa has found that the Royal Academy, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Serpentine Gallery are all accessible, and both the Tates provide wheel chairs with motors! If full time art courses are beyond you, membership of a NADFAS Group - offering short lectures and visits - is worth a try. The head office number, for your nearest group, is 020 7430 0730. Also, don’t forget book clubs as they are usually very informal, either in someone’s house or a church hall, and ideal for back sufferers.

As for eating out - talk to your local restaurants. Teresa suggests avoiding a table in the middle of the room and requesting one near the door - so that you can get up and walk about - or where you can stand and lean against wall. Don’t wear glasses then you won’t see people looking at you! Lunchtimes are better being less crowded and fewer prying eyes. It is best to avoid Saturday evenings due to slow service and long meal times. Don’t stay for more than two to three hours and remember to keep the next day free to recover! Vicki goes for restaurants with banquets and orders tables for two people more than she needs so that she can lie across the bench.

If you have any tips for going out and good places to go across the country, please send them to us so we can spread the word!