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Accessible Ticketing and Companion Policies
Accessible ticketing and companion, carer and plus-one policies under the Equality Act 2010: eligibility, verification, pricing, and how to audit your policy.
Companion and carer ticketing is one of the most common sources of disability complaints in sport, music, entertainment and live events. The policy questions are deceptively simple: who qualifies, how do they prove it, do they pay, and who decides. The legal answers are less simple, and a policy written for 2010 is rarely fit for purpose now.
Organisations that have invested in accessibility technology, Access Card integration, and individual access planning now know far more about disabled customers' actual needs than when most companion ticket policies were drafted. The duty is to keep the policy aligned with that knowledge and with the evolving caselaw, not to leave it as a legacy document.
A defensible companion ticket policy is written, standalone, reviewed within the last 12 months, clear about eligibility and verification, consistent in its application, and auditable. An unwritten or case-by-case approach is one of the most common triggers for Equality Act complaints because it creates the reality of arbitrary decision-making.
Eligibility and verification
The debate about disability proof is polarised. The better operational question, and the one the Equality Act points to, is 'what do you need?' not 'are you disabled?'. Verification systems like the Nimbus Access Card give staff a consistent, lawful basis for decisions.
Pricing
Charging a disabled customer's companion when the companion is a reasonable adjustment is a policy that needs to be justified. Many organisations provide companion tickets free or at a reduced rate as the adjustment itself.
Eight-area audit
A companion ticket policy review covers the policy itself, eligibility criteria, verification, pricing, booking journey, staff training, complaints handling, and review frequency. Eight areas, specific review questions, documented outcomes.
Keep it current
A policy written three years ago may not reflect the standards courts are applying now. Annual review against current caselaw and the 2026 EHRC Code is the baseline.
Articles on this topic
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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →Related resources
How Strategic Access Consulting can help
Practical support on this topic, from audits and training to insurance-backed retainer cover.
Companion ticket policy audits and Access Card integration