To mark the upcoming International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Dadsnet’s Diffability podcast and Merlin’s Magic Wand took over three London Eye pods to get a bird’s eye view of our capital city and highlight the importance of developments in accessibility for families.
Joined by London Eye Ops Manager Chantelle Fearn, Merlin’s Magic Wand programmes Manager Elin Parry, and friend of the podcast and mum to George, Harry, and Abby, Liz Lockley, the #IDPD Dadsnet podcast episode is an exciting and frank conversation deliberating adjustments and advancements parents would like to see happen in places they spend a lot of time.
With accessible access, equal work opportunities, colleague training, and an open platform for feedback in place, the lastminute.com London Eye was the ideal location to host such an important debate. The podcast was able to ask some direct questions about how families plan for days out, what they would like to see before they go, what could be improved, as well as changes they have seen that make them feel represented.
Dads and hosts of the Diffability podcast Michael and Paul Atwal-Brice who have two disabled sons, Levi and Lucas have made it their mission to de-stigmatise everyday life with disabled children. The podcasters, influencers, and LGBT activists collaborated with Merlin Entertainments’ official children’s charity to celebrate the accessible action happening to make life a little easier for families like theirs.
“As Dads to two young men who will need to use accessible spaces for the rest of their lives, it is incredibly important to be given a seat at the table when big organisations like Merlin want to talk about accessibility,” said Paul Atwal Brice.
“My husband Michael and I want to open the floor so that other families and children with ‘Diffabilities’ can have their say too, this podcast episode is a unique opportunity to listen to real, and different families, something so often missing from mainstream media.”
The podcast was recorded and filmed entirely in a London Eye Pod to highlight how exactly an accessible attraction can be for all, the podcast episode will touch on the official theme of #IDPD Disability Inclusion Means Action, and they were joined by VIP guests in a next-door pod from Visit England.
Merlin’s Magic Wand also invited a family to enjoy exclusive use of their own pod, exploring the London skyline with a London Eye host, able to explore their pod in their own time and in their own way. With a dedicated quieter experience aimed to provide a VIP experience for children who needed it most, the family was then treated to a trip on The London Eye River Cruise and given special London Eye gift bags to continue the experience at home. Merlin’s Magic Wand offers gifted days out like this to children who need it most at Merlin attractions via their Magical Days Out programme.
Each year on the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, iconic locations and buildings all over the world light up purple as a mark of respect, with the accompanying ‘Purple Light Up’ global movement celebrating and raising awareness of the economic contribution that the 386 million disabled employees around the world make every day. The lastminute.com London Eye as well as many of Merlin’s other attractions around the world will be lighting up purple to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December.
Imran Tauqir, General Manager at the lastminute.com London Eye, said: “At The lastminute.com London Eye we pride ourselves on being an inclusive attraction and for providing a memorable experience to all we welcome. It’s important to us to ensure the widest possible audience is able to enjoy a magical day out with us, so we are committed to continually listening, learning and adapting to the needs of our guests.
It’s a privilege to work with the Dadsnet’s Diffability podcast and Merlin’s Magic Wand to host this special activity on the Eye to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities. We look forward to continuing to work with experts, families, and individuals to employ best practice in the way we accommodate guests with any disability and ensure we share our magic with everyone.”
Head to Dadsnet’s official site, Spotify, and other podcast players to listen to this exciting episode and find out more about accessibility today and every day.
