Funfair Health Restrictions and the Equality Act

The Equality Act of 2010 was a landmark piece of legislation in the UK, streamlining various laws (including the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976, and Disability Discrimination Act 1995) into one comprehensive act. Its goal was to outlaw discrimination based on race, gender, or disability.

This legislation is relevant to all organisations, and fairground ride hire companies, event venues or amusement parks should therefore adhere to its requirements. Its aim is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the right to enjoy the fun and excitement they offer.

• Equal Access: The Act mandates that disabled individuals should have rights to access rides and attractions. This means that fairground operators must consider 'reasonable adjustments' to facilitate this access. Such adjustments could include modifications to restraints, crowd control barriers, walkways and slopes, or even by providing additional hand and foot bracing points to ensure safety for all.

• Safety First: While the Equality Act champions accessibility, it also acknowledges the paramount importance of health and safety. Operators have the right to refuse access to a funfair ride or fairground stall if they genuinely believe that doing so would compromise the safety of the individual concerned, other riders, or staff. This should be based on specific assessments, not general assumptions.

• Avoid Blanket Bans: Discrimination occurs when operators implement across-the-board rules that unfairly exclude disabled people from enjoying their facilities. Instead of a one-size-fits-all policy, the Equality Act encourages personalised assessments to determine whether an individual can safely use a ride.

• Engage and Consult: A key to compliance is not making assumptions about what disabled individuals can or cannot do. Fairground operators are encouraged to engage with disabled guests or their carers to make informed decisions together. This collaborative approach ensures that everyone has the chance to participate in a manner that's safe and enjoyable.

Consider the scenario of a fairground refusing access to a high-speed, physically demanding ride to a person with multiple sclerosis who uses walking sticks and cannot stand unaided. The ride requires leg strength for bracing. In this case, refusal based on safety concerns for the individual and others is likely justified under the Equality Act. This example underscores the importance of assessing each situation individually, focusing on safety while striving for inclusivity.

The Equality Act 2010 challenges fairground and amusement park operators to balance the need for safety with the right to access and enjoyment for all, including those with disabilities. By understanding and applying the principles of the Act, operators can create an environment where fun and safety go hand in hand, ensuring that the thrill of the ride is accessible to everyone.

Please contact us to book your spot with our funfair hire team, or visit our funfair safety guides for more information.

Accessibility, Safety and Fair Access to Funfair Rides

Funfair ride health restrictions can be a sensitive subject because event organisers want attractions to be as inclusive as possible, while operators also have to follow the safe operating requirements of the individual ride. These two aims are not necessarily in conflict. Good event planning means removing unnecessary barriers while recognising that some restrictions may still be necessary for particular attractions.

Our Disabled Accessibility and Inclusivity at Funfairs & Fairgrounds guide looks at accessibility from the perspective of the whole event, including how organisers can make venues, attractions and supporting facilities easier to use. It is a useful companion to this page because accessibility involves far more than whether somebody can board one particular ride.

Why Different Attractions Can Have Different Restrictions

A funfair is made up of very different types of equipment. A gentle Traditional Victorian Carousel does not operate in the same way as a Pirate Ship, Modern Waltzers or Reverse Bungee. Seating positions, restraints, movement, forces and evacuation arrangements can therefore vary substantially between attractions.

This is why it is not sensible to assume that somebody who is unable to use one attraction will automatically be unable to use another. A broad event containing children's fairground rides and attractions, family funfair attractions and rides, fairground side stalls and games and quieter interactive activities can provide many different ways for guests to take part.

Height Restrictions and Health Restrictions Are Not the Same Thing

Some of the most visible rules at a funfair are minimum and maximum height requirements. These are generally connected to the design of the attraction, including seating and restraint systems. Our Why Do Some Funfair Rides Have Height Restrictions? guide explains this subject separately, while How Tall Do Children Have to Be for Fairground Rides? provides additional information for parents and family-event organisers.

Health-related restrictions can involve different considerations. Depending on the attraction, particular movements or forces may make a ride unsuitable for some guests. Any guidance and operating requirements relating to the individual ride should therefore be considered carefully rather than replaced with a broad assumption about disability or health.

The Equality Act Does Not Mean Safety Rules Should Be Ignored

The Equality Act is relevant to accessibility and discrimination, but it does not mean that legitimate safety requirements should simply be removed. The key distinction is between a genuine operating restriction and an unnecessary barrier.

An operator should not make arbitrary decisions based purely on appearance or assumption. Equally, an operator may sometimes have to prevent somebody from riding where the requirements of the attraction cannot be satisfied safely. Our Refusing Access to Funfair Rides guide looks specifically at how and why these decisions can arise.

Good Communication Can Make Restrictions Easier to Manage

Accessibility often improves when guests can obtain useful information before reaching the loading platform. Clear ride information, visible restrictions and staff who can explain the operating requirements can help people make informed choices about which attractions are suitable for them.

Queue planning matters too. Guests should not ideally spend a long period waiting before finding out about a restriction that could have been communicated earlier. Our How to Manage Queues at Funfairs guide discusses queue design and flow, while How to Use Crowd Barrier Fencing at Events covers another practical aspect of organising busy attraction areas.

Alternative Attractions Can Make the Whole Event More Inclusive

Inclusivity does not depend on every guest being able to use every machine. A well-planned funfair provides choice. Visitors who do not want to use fast-moving rides may prefer carnival games, garden games, mini golf, arcade game machines or activities that take place at ground level.

At larger events, relax and chill out zones can also provide useful quieter spaces away from the busiest ride areas. Where a reduced-stimulation environment is appropriate, organisers may also wish to consider sensory-friendly or quiet-session arrangements alongside the main event programme.

Children, Families and Carers May Need Different Information

Family events can involve parents and carers making decisions on behalf of younger guests, so ride information needs to be easy to understand. Some children may meet the height requirement for an attraction but still find the experience unsuitable for other reasons, while others may prefer slower or more familiar rides.

Our How to Keep Children Safe at Fairgrounds guide provides broader advice for family events, and How to Help Nervous Children with Funfair Rides looks at supporting children who are uncertain about particular attractions without pressuring them to participate.

Risk Assessments Should Consider Accessibility from the Start

Accessibility is easier to address when it is considered during planning rather than added at the end. Organisers may need to think about entrances, surfaces, circulation routes, queues, seating, toilets, emergency access and the positioning of different attractions.

How to Perform a Funfair Ride Risk Assessment provides useful related guidance on assessing the event as a whole, while How to Place Funfair Rides Around the Site looks more closely at layout and positioning.

Inclusive Planning for Public, Corporate and Community Events

These considerations are especially important at council and local authority events, school events, charity events, festival hire and other gatherings intended for a broad section of the public. Corporate clients planning company fun days and corporate events may also want to consider the range of ages, abilities and preferences within their workforce.

The objective is not to make every guest participate in the same activity. It is to provide enough choice, information and practical support that people can take part in ways that are appropriate for them.

More Guidance on Accessibility and Ride Safety

If you are researching this subject in more depth, Are Funfair Rides Safe? provides a broader introduction to ride safety, while What Are the UK's Safety Standards for Fairgrounds? explains more about the wider safety framework surrounding amusement equipment.

Our Health and Safety FAQs bring together common questions, and How We Are Tricycle Protects Your Health And Safety explains more about our own approach to safe event delivery. You can also browse the Guides section for further information about accessibility, testing, risk assessment, weather, ride operation and event planning.

If you are arranging fairground and funfair hire and want to discuss the suitability of particular attractions for your audience, please contact us.