Help & Support
Turned away, left behind, or blocked out? Here’s what to do — in the moment, afterwards, and when they ignore you.
In the moment
Ask specifically for the fix: "Could you bring the ramp?" "Could we have a lower table?" Ask for the manager if refused, and note names, times and details — the fleet number on a bus, the duty manager at a venue.
Afterwards, in writing
Email beats phone: it creates a record and a deadline. Two paragraphs of fact, name the Equality Act 2010, ask three answerable questions. Use our template below.
Escalate
No proper answer in 14 days? Go up: head office, then the ombudsman or watchdog for that sector, with the EASS helpline (0808 800 0082) advising you along the way.
The template letter
This short letter, adapted to your situation, resolves a surprising number of access failures on its own. The full version with guidance is in our complaints guide.
On [date] at [place], I was unable to [board / enter / use the facility] because [the barrier]. I asked for [the adjustment] and [what happened].
I am disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. Under the Act you have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments, and I believe the above is a failure of that duty.
Please tell me: (1) what your policy requires; (2) why it wasn’t followed; (3) what will change, and by when. If I don’t receive a substantive reply within 14 days I will escalate.
Who can help — the directory
Advice & advocacy
EASS (discrimination helpline) — 0808 800 0082, equalityadvisoryservice.com
Citizens Advice — citizensadvice.org.uk
Disability Rights UK — disabilityrightsuk.org
Scope — scope.org.uk, helpline 0808 800 3333
Transport
Passenger Assist (rail) — 0800 022 3720 or the Passenger Assistance app
Rail Ombudsman — railombudsman.org
Bus Users UK — bususers.org (outside London)
London TravelWatch — londontravelwatch.org.uk
Transport for All — transportforall.org.uk
Councils & venues
Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman — lgo.org.uk (after the council’s own complaints process)
Access Card — accesscard.online
Your MP — members.parliament.uk — remarkably effective with public bodies
Guides for specific fights
» Parked across the bus stop: fighting for a clearway
» The ramp that never comes: bus refusals
» Mind the gap: when “level access” trains aren’t
» Passenger Assist — and when it fails
» Booking accessible theatre seats
» Bar stools only: inaccessible nights out
» The Equality Act 2010 in plain English
» How to complain so people actually listen
Stuck, ignored, or just exhausted?
You don’t have to fight every battle alone. Report the issue to us — we’ll help you find the next step, and your report helps us map the barriers everyone keeps hitting.