大象传媒

X-Ray goes undercover with two wheelchair users, Josh Reeves and Helen Fincham, to expose the shocking lack of disabled facilities in some of Wales' top night spots.

We sent them to secretly film at pubs and clubs in Cardiff.聽 Wheelchair users face substantial problems accessing these night-time venues, even though they have a legal duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, so that disabled people can access and use their premises.

Helen Fincham said, 鈥淭he night-time scene needs to improve across Wales. I just don鈥檛 like going to new places as it tends to be awkward and embarrassing. I might be in a wheelchair, but I don鈥檛 want to stand out from the crowd and I quite often will just give up and stay at home because it鈥檚 easier.鈥�

Josh Reeves, who is a disabled rights campaigner, said: 鈥淭he problem is that there are too many pubs, clubs and restaurants that are not catering for disabled people and this is something I definitely want to see change! Disabled people like to go out and we have money to spend too!鈥�

X-Ray鈥檚 secret filming footage demonstrates the ignorance both have to face - at one point Helen was confronted with steps to get up to the bar. She describes her experience as 鈥渁wful鈥�.I think the attitude of some business owners is that disabled people just don鈥檛 go out, so why should we bother, but we do go out!鈥�

There were a number of bars in Cardiff that Helen and Josh didn鈥檛 even try because they already knew access was impossible. Out of seven they did visit, they encountered problems in most of them, ranging from a lack of ramps to staff with no understanding of their needs.

Miranda Evans, from Disability Wales, said, 鈥淪ome businesses see disabled facilities as a bit of an add-on, a luxury so to speak. I think there is an element of some venues hiding behind this term 鈥榬easonable alterations鈥� with regard to a buildings structure. Older buildings can quite often be let off the hook because of the interpretation of what is reasonable.鈥� 聽

Josh said: 鈥淭here are good accessible bars in Cardiff and around Wales. Places where they are taking their responsibilities seriously. It鈥檚 great to see. But all too often it鈥檚 the same old story.鈥�

Rugby fans Carol and Robert Pugh, from Cardiff, were looking forward to the sports trip of a lifetime after she treated him to a holiday to see Wales play Italy in Rome at this year鈥檚 Six Nations.

Carol spent 拢438 on her Christmas present for Robert through the website Groupon. The deal included four nights in a hotel.

When the 64-year-old redeemed the deal through Worldchoice Sports, she decided to upgrade the tickets for the game and paid an additional 拢80 for each one.聽 But when the new tickets arrived in the post, Carol noticed something wasn鈥檛 right.

She said: 鈥淚 looked at them and I thought they're only worth 70 euros and I've paid another 拢160 on top. It didn't seem to work out really. The prices didn't match.鈥�

Carol had paid face-value paid for her original tickets 鈥� a cost of 拢52. Then she had paid an upgrade of 拢160, so 拢212 in total.聽 The tickets she ended up with were worth 拢122, meaning she鈥檇 paid 拢90 over the odds.

When Carol complained to Worldchoice Sports, based in Cheshire, the company explained they had paid high fees to get them, and said they would not refund her.

聽Carol said: 鈥淭he whole deal is a good deal, but I just felt they were ripping me off with the tickets.鈥�

X-Ray asked Worldchoice Sports why the ticket prices were so high. They responded by saying there were "many factors involved in pricing up packages for sporting events." But they said that because of data protection, they couldn't tell us anything more.

But there is some good news. Groupon - who weren't involved in the pricing of the ticket upgrade - have said that they will refund the 拢52 cost of the original ticket to Carol and Robert.