Brighton Pride 2010
Brighton Pride this year made serious efforts to improve access for disabled people to both the parade and the event in Preston Park which was attended by an estimated 160,000 people.
Brighton Pride this year made serious efforts to improve access for disabled people to both the parade and the event in Preston Park which was attended by an estimated 160,000 people.
I want to tell everyone about a wonderful organisation called Green Access & Mobility Areas (GAMA). This inspiring volunteer group is devoted to helping people with disabilities go to outdoor festivals. Not only do they advise festival organisers on access issues and how to make spaces and activities more welcoming to people with disabilities and chronic conditions, but they set up camp too in order to provide on-the-spot support, assistance and general back-up for disabled people and their friends/family/carers.
After the longest winter in memory & what seemed like a slow start to the year, the season for GAMA and summer festivals is now gearing up nicely. Here’s our spring update on what Gama have got planned so far for the coming year.
GAMA has had negotiations with the Green Phoenix Festival, 19th – 22nd August 2010, near Newcastle, & is pleased to announce that they will accept GAMA tickets from last years cancelled Big Green Gathering for their GAMA area.
The idea for GAMA came out of the work a group of us who had been supporting both adults and children with disabilities, mobility problems and particular needs, in outdoor community event/festival situations. Many people have been coming to festivals for years, and they now may be disabled or impaired in some way, or, they always had a disability, and believed that camping and enjoying themselves at a festival was impractical.
The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (subsequently amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005) allegedly heralded a new beginning for people with disabilities. The aims of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 are simple – “a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens”. In practice the Act seeks to ensure that disabled people are treated no less favourably than anyone else...