PUBS, restaurants and cinemas will be 'named and shamed' by disabled people fed up of not being able to enjoy a night out. The Chester-based Link Up Club will take part in Scope's action day on October 1, when people with disabilities will be visiting various venues and assessing how they measure up in terms of accessibility. Red 'busting' stickers will be placed on toilet doors in any venue without an accessible toilet. The protest is part of the Free2Pee campaign, a light-hearted but serious attempt at making service providers comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) which gets teeth from next month. Results from the survey will be placed on the Free2Pee website and sent to local newspapers. Window stickers will be offered to venues which pass the test. Link Up, which is run by its members for its members, has also produced a paper maché model of a wheelchair user which is being placed and photographed in areas where access is poor to raise public awareness. Link Up campaign chairman Pete Andrews said: 'We are trying to get some of the images printed in the local press leading up to October and the DDA law change.' Margie Woodward, Scope's national campaigns officer, who visited Link Up's community open day at the Scope centre in Blacon on Wednesday, said: 'There are 10m disabled people in Britain generating a potential market of £50-60bn every year so can businesses really afford to ignore the law?' She said disabled people would rather change came through partnership and persuasion but if necessary people were prepared to stand up and be counted. Sporting and cultural activities were promoted during the community open day at Scope's Skills and Development Centre in Western Avenue, to encourage happier and healthier lives. Activities already run by Link Up include ten pin bowling, five-a-side football, curling, indoor cricket, chess and a quiz team. The group also organises outings to the theatre, meals out and canal trips. The open day involved events such as art, dance and music workshops. There were performances and workshops by African Voices who are from the Savannah regions of North West Africa and Manchester-based Touchdown Dance, who work with disabled people using movement to explore styles, shapes and rhythms. Link Up Club secretary Lizzie Peacock said the objective was to promote healthy living by encouraging leisure and sporting activities among disabled people . She said: 'The aim of the open day is to link up the various disabled organisations, clubs and individuals around the North West of England and North Wales.' Lizzie stressed that the other aim was to link up the campaigning organisations to advance disability rights and awareness. Mike Flood, skills coordinator for Scope, said: 'These sort of activities are about giving better access to the community and developing social skills as well as practical skills and new interests and enhancing people's lifestyles.' Mike said the campaigning arm of Link Up was crucial to achieving equality for disabled people. He said the group had produced a leaflet offering advice about the DDA but had not had a single response. For a small fee the Link Up campaign team will carry out access assessments on business premises and provide disability awareness training for staff. | 
Article
