Almost 1 in 4 disabled people have been verbally abused by a member of the public or staff while socialising in a club or music venue, according to a new report.
The research, commissioned by national disability charity Mencap, also found as many as 1 in 3 had felt bullied by staff while out.
Mencap’s findings, which asked 300 people for their experiences around clubbing and going out, also found 80% of disabled individuals would go out more if staff at venues were more understanding. Just under 30% said they had felt afraid of asking venue staff for help.
Kelsey Ramsey, 24, who has a learning disability, was at a music festival over the summer, and said a man “called me a retard every time he saw me”.
“I’ve been called the r-word before, and I know that people make comments,” she said in a statement given to BuzzFeed News. Ramsey, who says that music is among her main interests, said the man’s comments made her feel unwelcome.
She added: “When you have a learning disability people look at you and judge how you act and how you look, so that can stop me from going out because I worry people are going to make fun of me. It really knocks your self-confidence.”
https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosebuchana...X0Y#.ydDVaKWOJ