‘Hostile’ Wireless staff insisted I wasn’t disabled says festival goer, 25, with cerebral palsy as her friend in a wheelchair had to use her phone on ZOOM to see the stage after pair were forced to watch performers from a distant platform
- Katouche Goll, 25, described experience as ‘an absolute disaster from the onset’
- She said staff member ‘pushed’ her sister and ‘insisted that we weren’t disabled’
- Hannah Mambu, 24, recalled watching stage using zoom feature on her phone
- The pair have accused organisers of ‘not wanting us to be involved in the festival’
A festival goer with cerebral palsy has slammed ‘hostile’ Wireless staff after they insisted she was not disabled, while her friend had to watch the stage through her phone because they were forced to watch performers from a distant platform.
Katouche Goll, 25, described her experience of the popular festival in Crystal Palace this weekend as ‘an absolute disaster from the onset’ after being forced to negotiate ‘dangerous’ terrain and a steep hill – all for an abject view of the event.
She told of how a staff member ‘pushed’ her sister and ‘insisted that we weren’t disabled’ when they tried to access the disabled viewing platform.
Her friend Hannah Mambu, 24, also recalled having to watch the performances on stage using the zoom feature on her phone because the viewing platform was so distant.
Ms Mambu, who has spina bifida, said said it felt like organisers and staff ‘didn’t want us to be involved in the festival’.
She added: ‘(I was) shocked that they think sitting there is acceptable. All of us were looking at each other like “is there a point in waving?”
‘I am using my phone to zoom in to see the artist perform… we’re basically outside the park, everyone is there and jumping having fun and we are at the back.’
The two friends had to watch the festival from a distant viewing platform and have complained about the lack of disabled access
Katouche Goll (pictured at the festival) described her experience as a ‘an absolute disaster from the onset
Hannah Mambu (pictured) also recalled having to watch the performances on stage using the zoom feature on her phone
Ms Goll (pictured) is an ambulatory wheelchair user, meaning she often uses a scooter to navigate her way around festivals, but the terrain at Wireless forced her to use a wheelchair
The aftercare consultant continued: ‘We paid the same amount of money that everyone else paid.
‘They didn’t put two thoughts into disabled people… they didn’t get people with mobility issues to advise them on what’s the best solution to give disabled people a good view.
‘Where they put us was so exclusive, (it was) like they don’t want us to be involved in the festival, they don’t want us to have fun. It’s terrible.’
Ms Mambu and Ms Goll shared their experience of the festival on social media, sparking outrage at their treatment.
Ms Goll, a PR representative and disability content creator, accused organisers of not putting ‘two thoughts into disabled people’.
Describing the ‘hostile’ and ‘incompetent’ staff, she continued: ‘(It was) absolutely horrendous. We had a member of staff push my sister while she was carrying me on my back and and insisted that we weren’t disabled when we tried to get access to the other viewing platform.
She added: ‘Nothing could have prepared us for what we were to encounter during that day.
‘(After the entrance), there was no way any disabled person could take that hill on without any assistance. One of your wheels would definitely get stuck in a pothole and send you flying. It was very dangerous.’
Ms Goll is an ambulatory wheelchair user, meaning she often uses a scooter to navigate her way around festivals.
But she said the terrain at Wireless forced her to use a wheelchair.
She said: ‘I wouldn’t typically go with a wheelchair but because of how physically exhausted (and) in pain I was after the first day, I had to take a wheelchair the next day.
‘No tracking pads were provided for us… and then because I couldn’t get my scooter or my wheelchair over the gravel, I have to walk that length with my crutches, and I have cerebral palsy so that’s a lot of labour.
‘And then when I was too tired, my sister had to carry me, only for us to reach the platform (and) be so abysmally far from the stage.’
Ms Goll said she will complain to Wireless and hopes to get her money back, adding: ‘Being excluded from and segregated from everybody else is such a frustratingly characteristic aspect of being disabled.
‘Not because of anything to do with your actual condition, but simply because of the barriers that people put in place to stop you from being able to have an equitable experience of public life.’
Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at charity Disability Rights UK, today said their treatment was ‘unacceptable’.
She added: ‘What should have been a joyous and fun occasion, turned into disappointment and frustration for Disabled festival goers.
‘This is absolutely unacceptable. Disabled people are a fifth of the population and we need to be welcomed and included at public events.
‘The Equality Act requires festivals to be run in ways which meet our needs and no festival should treat us as second class citizens.’
Katouche pointed at the distant stage (left), stating she felt ‘Sooo far away’ from the event. And right: Goll’s sister puts her belongings on the only chair they were given on the plastic stage
Londoner Katouche, 25, said she attends gigs at Wembley and elsewhere – without issues
Unforeseeable: Katouche was hugely disappointed by the ‘terrible’ treatment and view
Disabled ticketholders were forced to make their way up a steep hill just to reach the venue’s accessibility entrance close to Crystal Palace station.
And when they finally arrived, Katouche and pals had to wait to be escorted to their designated safe zone.
‘By the time someone came to collect us, the music had already started.
‘Then they were difficult about how many people in our group could enter the accessible area.’
Katouche said: ‘And nothing could have prepared us for what we met when we arrived.’
The disabled area appears to be hundreds of metres from the main stage, according to videos taken by Ms Goll.
She tweeted: ‘Got us sooo far from the stage.
‘The viewing area is so high so it’s windier and our stuff is flying away. And of course we can’t go after it.’
Katouche also said that a random reveller strolled up to the disabled area and vomited on the platform stairs.
‘Staff have been clueless and in some cases facetious’, she told MailOnline.
Katouche took to Twitter to air her grievances – but not a single change was made on Saturday
‘The only reason I’m going back today is because I paid for my ticket and don’t want to have wasted my money if I don’t get a refund.’
Katouche told MailOnline she is going back today to see Tyler the Creator – but doesn’t have her hopes up for any differences
After Katouche filed a staff complaint and tweeted about the accessibility issues at Friday lunchtime, she was hoping adjustments might be made in time for her return.
But Ms Goll told MailOnline: ‘When we came back on Saturday, no accommodations or adjustments were made. There were no differences at all.
‘I don’t expect anything to be different today.’
Katouche has asked for a refund on weekend ticket, which cost between £250 and £300. She is awaiting a response.
Campaigning charity Attitude is Everything has said it is currently ‘collating feedback’ and speaking to those who attended the festival over the weekend.
Twitter users largely backed Katouche’s complaints, chiming in with their solidarity
‘We haven’t heard anything. It’s been a really tiring experience’, Katouche added.
She regularly attends gigs at major venues including Wembley Stadium, but was taken aback by the poor treatment at Crystal Palace.
Katouche said: ‘I even went to Wireless a few times when it was at Finsbury Park and never had an issue like this.
‘There is a lot of work to be done, especially on the urban music scene. People only imagine one one type of a disabled person, but we come in all forms.
‘Equitable treatment is not a favour. It’s a human right.’
Adele was praised for stopping her BST Hyde Park gig on Friday evening no fewer than four times in order for passed out revellers to receive medical help.
Paul McCartney also did the same at Glastonbury, where disability access was widely praised.
US rapper Tyler the Creator headlined Wireless on Sunday night after J Cole took the lead spot on Saturday, following A$AP Rocky’s star appearance on Friday night.
Next weekend, Wireless moves to Finsbury Park, with Cardi B, SZA and Nicki Minaj set to headline.
The festival has been contacted for comment.
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