• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / London 2012: Praise for volunteers and venue access

London 2012: Praise for volunteers and venue access

By guest on 29th August 2012 Category: News Archive

Listen

The first week of the London 2012 Olympics has seen praise for the assistance given to disabled sports fans by volunteer staff, reports of superb access at venues, but some early concerns about accessible parking and transport.

There has also been critical praise for the Deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who led the drumming during the much-praised “Pandemonium” section of the opening ceremony, which celebrated Britain’s role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

And there was also a high-profile appearance by The Kaos Signing Choir, which features both Deaf and hearing children and is based in north London, and sung and signed the national anthem in the ceremony.

So far, there have been no reports of access concerns within the main Olympic venues.

Joyce Cook, chair of Level Playing Field, formerly known as The National Association of Disabled Supporters, said her organisation had yet to hear any complaints from disabled people attending London 2012.

She said: “I have not heard anything about venues at the Olympic Park at all which usually means good news. We normally hear if things go wrong.”

She was closely involved with advising the Olympic Delivery Authority on its plans for building the Olympic Park venues, although not with the London 2012 organising committee LOCOG.

She added: “I would say the fact that we haven’t heard is probably a good sign.”

Lynda Ball, a wheelchair-user from Queensland, Australia, praised access and staff at the two Olympic venues she had visited, the Aquatics Centre on the Olympic Park and Earl’s Court in west London.

She said: “It was great. Everyone looked after us so well. All the happy smiling faces of the volunteers have been wonderful.”

She said that “games makers” – London 2012’s army of volunteers – had even arranged for her to have a wheelchair-accessible place at the side of the volleyball court in Earl’s Court, even though she and her husband had booked regular seats.  

Art Pena, from California, another wheelchair-user enjoying the volleyball at Earl’s Court, also praised the “very helpful, cheerful people” who he said were “more than willing to go out of their way to help”.

His one concern so far has been the lack of portable ramps on tube and train journeys, which has meant relying on help from members of the public to lift him into and out of carriages.

He said he had asked staff if they had any portable ramps but was told: “Sorry, we don’t have any.”

He said: “The events themselves, it has been wonderful here. It is just the tubes and the trains where we have had a difficult time.”

In June, Transport for London announced that it would pilot the use of portable ramps at 16 key tube stations across the capital during London 2012, but the scheme only applies to this minority of stations and not to the train network.

TfL has so far been unable to say whether there have been any problems with the pilot programme.

Another foreign visitor again praised London 2012’s accessible venues but raised concerns about some arrangements for disabled visitors.

Malik Badsi, director of Paris-based Yoola, a specialist travel agency which accompanies disabled people to sporting and cultural events, said he had encountered problems trying to obtain entry for his bus to the Olympic Park carpark on the night of the opening ceremony, despite having the necessary accreditation for blue badge parking.

Staff at the entrance gate appeared not to know where they should go, and he and his clients spent an hour being directed from one entrance gate to another before they were finally allowed into the accessible carpark.

He experienced similar problems at the ExCeL centre, which is hosting seven Olympic events, including gymnastics, boxing and table-tennis.

The London 2012 organisers LOCOG had sent him his accessible parking accreditation by email, but staff at ExCeL refused to accept it, and he claims they suggested he was “a liar and a fake”.

He said his experience had been “a disaster” so far, although the venues themselves were “very nice and very accessible”.

He said: “There is too much bureaucracy and administration and there is nothing working. I am not very happy.”

He has brought about 100 clients, including at least 60 disabled people, to London for the games, but will be bringing as many as 200 disabled people to the Paralympics later this month, and called on LOCOG to make improvements before the games begin.

He claimed the Olympic Park “mobility service” was too slow, with a shortage of vehicles to shuttle disabled people from the carpark to the various venues.

A LOCOG spokeswoman said the problem with the accessible parking on the Olympic Park was probably an “isolated incident”, but that they had “spoken to the venue transport managers to make sure it doesn’t happen again”.

She said the mobility service had to obey speed restrictions in the packed Olympic Park, and had received “really great feedback” from disabled people.

She added: “It is not like a speedy taxi service. The feedback I have been getting is that people are really grateful to have this kind of service.”

LOCOG has not yet commented on the ExCeL parking concerns.

There were also criticisms from disabled visitors to one of the BT London Live events, which are showing London 2012 action on big screens, and include sports participation activities, live music and other entertainment, and have been organised by the mayor of London, The Royal Parks and Tower Hamlets council.

Disabled student Louise Hickman was at the BT London Live event in Victoria Park in east London to watch Friday’s opening ceremony.

She and her friend – also a wheelchair-user – were disappointed by the failure of stewards to know the arrangements for disabled visitors.

She said: “They lacked any common sense, or the ability to use their own initiative. They were aggressive and had no disability awareness.”

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill

Urgent letter from UN to Labour government warns: We think your cuts continue Tory attack on disability rights

Race against time to secure DWP deaths evidence before parliament passes new benefit cuts bill

‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE

Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill

Frustration after government only issues partial ban on new floating bus stops

Report suggests five big ideas that could transform disabled people’s mobility

My new book shows exactly why we need the disability movement, says disabled author

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web