A woman was in tears after arriving for a day out at Knowsley Safari Park after she was allegedly turned away at the gates.
Ellie Greenaway, from St Helens, visited the park on Tuesday, April 3. She is disabled and has an accessible car, but claims she was refused entry as she did not have a card to prove she was disabled.
Knowsley Safari Park have said all carers attending the park are required to have the particular access card. A spokesperson said they were sorry to hear about Ellie’s experience and said they would be happy to look into the incident further.
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Ellie said: “As we arrived there was a sign saying online tickets only so we booked our tickets just before entering. I was told by the lady on the desk that I needed a Nimbus card as proof of my disability to access the park. I told her I didn’t have that but I had my PIP disability letter and she just refused it.”
Ellie claimed a second staff member showed “absolutely no empathy or compassion” towards her even though she was “so upset and crying.”
A Nimbus Access Card, developed by Nimbus Disability, aims to offer a universal and consistent way for disabled people to evidence and communicate their access requirements both quickly and discretely. It enables venues to be informed quickly and discreetly about the access requirements of individuals with the card, meaning that people will no longer have to answer invasive questions over the phone or in person.
The card is widely recognised at many of the UK’s leisure and tourism venues, with a large number of them allowing online integration and booking for disabled people. According to Knowsley Safari Park’s website, it partnered with Nimbus to develop a new essential companion ticket that would be free for carers, effective from January 1 this year.
Ellie added: “The fact that I was strapped into my wheelchair in my accessible car wasn’t enough either! I feel so frustrated that I have been treated this way.”
A spokesperson for the safari park said: “We’re proud to offer free guest access for essential companions, which is facilitated through the Nimbus Disability Access Card Scheme. Essential companions are required to provide the Access Card at the entrance and details about this are available on our website and during the ticket booking process.
“We are sorry to hear that Ellie’s experience was not the one she hoped for and certainly not the experience that we strive to deliver. If Ellie or her essential companion would like to contact us and provide further information about what happened, this is something we’ll look straight into.”
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Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
