Articles by Chris Fry
Chris Fry writes from Sheffield on disability, the Equality Act 2010 and the practical side of access for sport, music, entertainment and live events. Every article is listed here, newest first. Subscribers to The Access Advantage (opens in a new tab) get the full monthly briefings.
35 articles. Looking for something specific? Browse by topic, or read more about Chris Fry.
- Opinion
Once Said: The Case for a Universal Access Profile
Chris Fry makes the case for a voluntary, universal Access Profile, so disabled people can explain their communication needs once and have the support follow them across public and private services.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Another Railway Accessibility Duty. But Will Anything Actually Change?
Chris Fry in Sheffield on what the Railways Bill teaches every venue and service provider about reasonable adjustments and the accessible customer journey.
Read article → - Opinion
Why Do We Assume Disabled People Won't Enjoy the Experience?
Chris Fry uses the Little Mix case, a blind sports fan and the British Museum to show why access means the whole experience, not just entry.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Waved through: when an easier journey raises a harder question
A wheelchair user's day in London raises a question every venue and transport operator should be able to answer. Chris Fry on reasonable adjustments, digital access, staff confidence and Martyn's Law.
Read article → - Opinion
Digital Accessibility and the Case for a Disability Passport
Chris Fry examines the Nimbus and NHS Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag developments together and makes the case for a voluntary Disability Passport trusted by almost one million users.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Don't Wait for an Accessibility Act
Chris Fry explains what proposals for a UK Accessibility Act and a new Equality Act arbitration petition could mean for venues, sport, entertainment and visitor attractions, with seven practical steps businesses can take.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Bonfire Night Without the Barriers
Chris Fry on how to host an accessible fireworks and bonfire event: noise, assistance animals, the Goldscheider case, and why safety can't automatically justify exclusion.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Digital ID Has Changed. Do Disabled Customers Still Need an Access Card?
Chris Fry explains why new digital ID rules don't replace the Nimbus Access Card, what Access Cards actually verify, and what new ticketing integration means for disabled customers.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Fright Night: The Right to Be Frightened
Halloween scare attractions, 18+ events and Essential Companions: Chris Fry on the anticipatory duty, companion ticket obligations, and what happens when an adjustment risks changing the service itself.
Read article → - Legal Insight
When Remote Access Is an Adjustment, Not a Substitute for Access
Chris Fry examines the Royal Opera House Mirrorbox project and the Equality Act question of when virtual participation is a good reasonable adjustment, and when physical access should still be provided.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Temporary Doesn't Mean Exempt
Temporary doesn't mean exempt. Chris Fry on what the Equality Act means for pop-up venues, festival infrastructure, temporary seating, crowd barriers and the event build that happens after the accessibility audit.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Can a Venue Lawfully Cancel a Performer?
Philip Simon's successful Equality Act claim against Edinburgh's Banshee Labyrinth. Chris Fry on when a venue can lawfully cancel a performer and when cancellation is unlawful discrimination.
Read article → - Legal Insight
The Problem with EMMA: Crash Test your Tech
When AI can't understand the customer, and what it means for every customer-facing business. Chris Fry on the Rotherham GP AI receptionist, the revised EHRC Code, and why AI doesn't remove the reasonable-adjustments duty, it can create a new one.
Read article → - Operational Accessibility
Could Your Venue Send an Accessible Emergency Alert?
When the Government's national alert hit millions of phones, it gave venues a live lesson in accessible communication at scale. Chris Fry on what emergency alerts teach festivals, sports grounds and venues about dynamic disability risk.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Disability, Dignity and the New Rules on Changing Spaces
The new rules on single-sex and shared changing spaces meet a renewed focus on dignity for disabled people. Chris Fry on where the two agendas collide, and what service providers need to get right.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Failure to Make Reasonable Adjustments Compensation: What the Courts Award and Why
Reasonable adjustments failures are the most common disability discrimination claims against service providers. Chris Fry on how compensation works, what Courts award, and the patterns that show up in real cases.
Read article → - Practical Guide
Reasonable Adjustments Examples: What Works in Sport, Music, Entertainment and Live Events
Most organisations understand they have a duty. Far fewer understand what a good reasonable adjustment looks like in practice. Chris Fry sets out real examples across sport, music, entertainment and live events, and the patterns that end up in Court.
Read article → - Legal Insight
The warning period has ended. The replacement statutory Code now applies.
On 5 August 2026, the EHRC's replacement Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations became statutory and the 2011 Code was revoked. Chris Fry explains what every service provider, venue and public body needs to do now.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Are American-Style Disability Testers Coming to the UK?
Strategic litigation is changing. Campaigners are already bringing multiple Equality Act claims, publishing litigation guides, and using Courts to challenge recurring operational failures across entire sectors. Chris Fry on the risk every UK venue should be thinking about now.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Plummer, Listed Buildings, and the “Cost Excuse”
“We can't afford it” is the most common reason organisations give for not making a reasonable adjustment. The County Court decision in Plummer v Royal Herbert Freehold Ltd shows why cost alone is rarely a defence. Chris Fry on what every venue and heritage site should take from it.
Read article → - Operational Accessibility
I'm Self-Diagnosed. Can I Use the Sensory Room?
Self-diagnosis is an operational reality for venues, stadiums, theatres and visitor attractions. Chris Fry examines what the Equality Act actually requires when a customer requests an adjustment based on a condition they haven't had formally diagnosed.
Read article → - Opinion
When Accessibility Works, Everybody Wins
Two events, thousands of customers, one simple lesson. Chris Fry attends two very different events and finds that when accessibility is designed in from the start, the whole experience improves, not just for disabled customers.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Passenger Assistance Isn't Delivered Until the Adjustment Actually Works
Recording a reasonable adjustment isn't the same as delivering it. Chris Fry examines Doug Paulley's GTR disability discrimination settlements and the operational lessons every service provider should take from them.
Read article → - Practical Guide
How to Audit Your Companion Ticket Policy
A practical review framework for sport, music, entertainment and live events organisations. Eight audit areas, specific review questions, common failures, and practical steps to fix them.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Medical Cannabis at UK Events: Are Venue Policies Keeping Up With the Law?
Prescribed cannabis has been legally available since 2018. Yet for disabled attendees at concerts and festivals, bringing their medication to a venue can still create unnecessary difficulty. Chris Fry asks whether venue security policies and staff training have kept pace.
Read article → - The Access Advantage
Your Companion Ticket Policy Was Written for 2010. Is It Still Fit for Purpose?
Organisations investing in accessibility technology now know far more about disabled customers' actual needs than ever before. Chris Fry asks whether their companion ticket policies have kept pace, and what the Equality Act now expects.
Read article → - Operational Accessibility
Stop Asking 'Are You Disabled?' Start Asking 'What Do You Need?'
The debate about disability proof has become polarised. Chris Fry argues we're asking the wrong question, and that the Equality Act points to a better operational approach for venues and service providers.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Ten Days to Compliance: The EHRC Code Changes Everything for Digital Accessibility
On 5 August 2026 the EHRC's new Statutory Code of Practice became the definitive framework courts must apply to Equality Act claims. For organisations with digital customer journeys, the implications are immediate.
Read article → - Operational Accessibility
Beyond Physical Ramps: Why Invisible and Fluctuating Disabilities Require Equality by Design
The Equality Act 2010 doesn't ask whether a disability is visible. Service providers who design their policies around obvious, physical access barriers are missing the legal point entirely. Chris Fry on what the Act actually requires.
Read article → - Legal Insight
The 2026 EHRC Code: Everyone Missed the Disability Chapters
The legal press wrote thousands of words about the updated EHRC Code of Practice. Almost all of it was about sex and gender. The disability chapters, neurodivergence, the anticipatory duty, and 15 years of updated caselaw got almost no coverage. Chris Fry explains what service providers actually need to know.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Summer Camps, Volunteer Organisations and the Equality Act 2010
Every summer thousands of volunteer-led organisations run camps, residential trips and sports tours. The legal risks around operational accessibility are frequently overlooked, and 'we're only volunteers' isn't a defence.
Read article → - Legal Insight
Changing Places Toilets: Why Venue Accessibility Can't Stop at the Front Door
A venue can be technically accessible at the entrance and still be practically unusable for some disabled people once they're inside. Chris Fry explains what the Equality Act 2010 actually requires of venue operators.
Read article → - Legal Insight
The Blame Game
The venue says it was the promoter's problem. The promoter says it was the venue's problem. The ticketing platform says it just sells tickets. Chris Fry explains why the Equality Act 2010 does not accept any of those answers, and what it actually means for who gets sued.
Read article → - Legal Insight
The Right Person for the Job
Automated screening software is quietly filtering out disabled candidates before any human sees their application, and the employers deploying it are carrying the legal exposure.
Read article → - Opinion
Who's Taking the Lead?
Former professional guide dog trainers have raised serious concerns about changes that shift training accountability onto guide dog owners themselves. Chris Fry examines the risks and the case for a national working animals accreditation scheme.
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