A DISABLED and visually impaired man has criticised the attitudes of a York theatre.

Ian Wood, of Ascot Court, York, has mitochondria disease, which has left him partially paralysed and visually impaired.

Although he enjoys trips to the theatre in York, Ian said different attitudes to disabilities meant the outings could be prohibitively costly.

Ian said: “If you go to the Theatre Royal, you get a ticket free for your guide or carer. But when I’ve tried to book tickets at the Grand Opera House I was told that wouldn’t be possible.

“I wrote to the manager and got an email back which said if I didn’t want to pay for a ticket for my carer, they could sit in the foyer or in the bar while I enjoyed the show. That’s outrageous.”

Ian has already booked tickets for several shows at the Grand Opera House, but said preventing a carer from attending a show could mean more than an inconvenience: “If anyone who is impaired or has fits, thankfully I don’t, but if they didn’t have someone around who knew how to deal with it, it’s someone’s health at risk.

“It’s strange that the Theatre Royal does offer free tickets to carers or assistants, but the Grand Opera House doesn’t, when so many companies are aware of disability and access.”

A spokeswoman for the Grand Opera House said the discounts on tickets for carers would depend on the promoters of the tour, not the theatre itself.

She said: “I think we do charge for carers, but they get the same concession or discount as the visually impaired, which would depend on the promoter.”

In December, a survey by development charity ADD International found nearly half of people in Yorkshire and the Humber (47 per cent), did not often consider the needs of disabled people.