ACO Members' Survey : A Plea

[cooperlola]

Could I ask all the ACO members on here who have been asked to take part in the on-line membership survey to do me a favour, please?

Those of you who know me personally will know that three years ago I was involved in a near-fatal car accident which has left me, shall we say, less than mobile. When this happens to you, you begin to realise just how rubbish some of the facilities can be at race meetings. Whilst the ACO is relatively good in this respect the facilities for disabled members are cr*p. I'd therefore be truly grateful if you would respond to the survey and take the time to point out to the ACO the lack of disabled loos in the members' grandstands, the lack of a useable lift to get to the stand and the bars underneath it, and the lack of priority and accessible spaces in the campsites.

Thanks all.

[perdu]

Was it really three years ago Debs? Blimey time flies when you're having a crap time.

Having seen Debs at La Sarthe a lot over many years of LM I can vouch for the crapness of the ACOs disabled facilities she and her other half have coped with.

I am not an ACO member any more so I didn't get the survey, but would echo her request for a mention on your survey.

See you next year Debs



Bill

[The Leaper]

Done this am

[cooperlola]

Thanks chaps.

See you in 2012 then Bill.

[V8Bart]

I'm not a member, but would love to help as will be in my wheelchair, is it members only?

[cooperlola]

The facilities are quite reasonable for chairs - there's a good viewing area underneath the yellow concrete stand on the pit straight, and another at the Southern end of the MB stand. I'm also told that there's a viewing area above the Pits but I've yet to find it, mainly because in a manual chair it's quite a long way to go from the parking spaces (for blue badge holders these are along the wall behind the Sommer Grandstand.) If you need any more info, feel free to ask, or read my piece in the Club Arnage guide on the facilities for the disabled.

What gets my goat is that as a member you can't take advantage of the reserved grandstand and bar and the members' area inside La Chapelle is really hard to get to for a manual chair (the gravel is a nightmare!) - plus the ramps are very steep and you need to get up two step to get the wristband. I mean, how daft can you get? There's a lift in the members' grandstand but you need somebody to take you to it, then it gets you right to the top of the stand where the only way to get out again (there's no lift call button on the outside) is to send somebody to find a member of staff. Thus a lot of what makes the membership worthwhile is inaccessible to chairs. Grrr. Rant over!