Chester Zoo Chester and the Disabled?

Here in the US, zoos and any other public places are mandated by the federal government to build ramps and make all public places accessible for most disabled people . There is no way around that aspect. I'm not sure of the corresponding legislation in the UK or elsewhere so I cannot comment on that.

The problem will come with abuse of the privileges of having the carer get in free. Who is to say who needs a carer and who doesn't? I may not know the exact situation with the Chester Zoo, but I understand people (as much as anyone can). People will try and manipulate a situation for their best interest. I'm not saying that the majority of people will do this, but it will happen, and unfortunately more often than we would like to think.

While I am personally ambivalent towards the whole scenario, the reality of the situation is that two people enter the zoo then both should have to pay. Chester was doing a noble thing allowing the carers in for free, but if zoos are to be run like a business (and from my understanding most or all zoos in the UK are privately managed and therefore a business) then it only makes sense for everyone to pay to get in.
 
I wouldn't have thought that the number of carers now having to pay would be enough to compensate for the bad press of starting to charge them - equally I am sure as jbnbsn99 says there are a significant number of people who don't actually need a carer who would claim they do to get someone in free!
 
This comparison with children is misguided; I don’t think an adult who needs support should be compared to a child.
Secondly, the case of children applies to all children; every family has the same experience. Also, most adults have a choice about having children; people don’t chose to be dependent on carers.
 
Ned said:
This comparison with children is misguided; I don’t think an adult who needs support should be compared to a child.
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Both are groups of people who require additional support for reasons beyond their control, which is the topic of discussion.


Ned said:
Secondly, the case of children applies to all children; every family has the same experience. Also, most adults have a choice about having children; people don’t chose to be dependent on carers.
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This last is true but doesn't change the fact that two people going to the zoo shouldn't be surprised to have to pay two entrance fees.
 
If someone gets sever disability living allowance then more than likely they’ll receive support. They can produce their benefits entitlement as proof. UK cinemas run a scheme where a free pass is applied for. The person applying has to produce evidence of their entitlement. The card allows a carer free entry.
 
Maguari said:
Both are groups of people who require additional support for reasons beyond their control, which is the topic of discussion.




This last is true but doesn't change the fact that two people going to the zoo shouldn't be surprised to have to pay two entrance fees.
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I think a person being charged twice as much as everyone else for the same thing should be suprised.
 
I guess the subject of carer conjures up different ideas to different people. For me I tend to think of those with learning difficulties. These people, by luck of birth, are normally destined to a life with very little disposable income (In the UK at least). Many are never likely to be employed and those that are usually get low waged jobs. On top of having low employment prospects they then have to pay twice for everything.
 
Ned said:
I think a person being charged twice as much as everyone else for the same thing should be suprised.
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But it's not! It's two people being charged the same as everyone else. Whether it's fair is possibly a different issue but it's not one person being charged double by any means.
 
It is because the person with the disability is having to foot the bill. They have to cover the carers expenses.
 
Ned said:
It is because the person with the disability is having to foot the bill. They have to cover the carers expenses.
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That wouldn't apply to all carers for the disabled I'm sure. It would depend on who was paying for the carer, and indeed whether the carer is being paid anything at all for the work they do - it may be a family member receiving no financial return at all.

I certainly wouldn't expect the person with the disability to be paying every time - the old rule would equally apply to a someone taking their disabled friend or relative to the zoo for a birthday treat, after all.

Don't get me wrong - I'm sorry the zoo are stopping this, but I have a hard time finding it 'outrageous'.
 
Carers' expenses are usually covered by the agency/company the carer is working for. My parents look after a very close family friends' parents, both of whom have Dementia. If they decide they want to go out, my parents take them. There expenses, within reason obviously, are covered by their employer, which in their case is my best friends' mum who has contracted them to work with her parents, BUT if they were working through an agency, the agency would cover those expenses.

I don't find the situation outrageous either, it's up to the zoo management team to decide whether or not they provide consessionary rates. However, I'm not sure I agree with the situation as I can see it from both sides.

I do believe that it's not one person paying double, it's 2 people paying for entry to an establishment
 
Maguari, I take your point about a friend or relative and I’m sure there are people who take their relative to the zoo, get in free and have a great time. However there are many who don’t have family or friends to rely on and have professional carers. Someone like this going to the zoo is going to have to pay for themselves and their carer.
By the way, I am enjoying the debate, thanks.
 
This subject was raised at the AGM. A member made the point that carers who work in old people's homes, hospices or hospitals for those with special needs, had to pay multiple times to enter the zoo, once with each person they accompanied.

She asked whether it would be possible for these people to gain free entry, because in many cases, the cost of the carer stopped the disabled person from visiting, and surely one entrance fee was more beneficial to the zoo than none at all.

I can't remember precisely the response from the panel - perhaps Zoogiraffe can - but their broad response was that they would consider it.
 
They won't pay for the carer if it's not a private contract, the agency or care company will cover carers' expenses. To be honest, if its private or an agency contract, taking the person/people they are caring for out into the community will be part of the job description so they kinda have to do it!!
 
Ned said:
Maguari, I take your point about a friend or relative and I’m sure there are people who take their relative to the zoo, get in free and have a great time. However there are many who don’t have family or friends to rely on and have professional carers. Someone like this going to the zoo is going to have to pay for themselves and their carer.
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I would expect that (as Twiglet suggests) in a lot of cases a professional carer would be able to claim the visit costs as expenses, although I'm sure there are exceptions.



Ned said:
By the way, I am enjoying the debate, thanks.
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Me too - it's an interesting dilemma!
 
Twiglet2010 said:
Carers' expenses are usually covered by the agency/company the carer is working for. My parents look after a very close family friends' parents, both of whom have Dementia. If they decide they want to go out, my parents take them. There expenses, within reason obviously, are covered by their employer, which in their case is my best friends' mum who has contracted them to work with her parents, BUT if they were working through an agency, the agency would cover those expenses.



I’m afraid I can’t believe this set up is typical, at least not as far as adults are concerned. I don’t wish to try to trump you in this debate but my views are based on my experiences with an agency through which I worked at over 25 care homes. None of them would have paid the carers entry fees; it was always the service user who paid.
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It depends on the wording of the contract and each agency/care home is different and contracts are different, but the people I know who are in the profession have their expenses paid. Those expenses are limited to a set amount each week in some cases.
 
SMR said:
I can't remember precisely the response from the panel - perhaps Zoogiraffe can - but their broad response was that they would consider it.
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I do remember this being discussed,and from what i can remember it was left as the zoo would look into it,now it seems they have looked into and people don`t like what the zoo decided.
 
Maybe for those with dementia, especially if they don’t have the mental capacity to make choices, or for older people it’s different. I only ever worked with adults with learning difficulties, children and people with mental health needs; my experience was that they paid whenever we went anywhere.
 
Consider this as another scenario; what should the zoo do if a family arrive - mother, father and three children - but one of the children is disabled?
 
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