Woman who uses wheelchair praises Eisteddfod accessibility but wants more to be done
Words by Gracie Richards.
A wheelchair user has praised the accessibility of the National Eisteddfod 2024 but calls for more to be done in future.
Emily Nicole Roberts, 26, lives with cerebral palsy, is calling for more stewards to help, more signs on the Maes, and less pathways made of gravel at the event in future.
With the field in Ynys Angharad Park in Pontypridd, the National Eisteddfod festival site looks a bit different than usual his year.
Emily, who works in a bridal shop, also has her own Youtube series ‘How Emily.’ Her series will be adapted to a show on BBC Radio Wales after a successful pilot last year.
In the series, Emily shows how she completes tasks and takes part in activities as a wheelchair user.
This week, she shared her experience in the Eisteddfod with the ‘Hansh Dim Sbin' team.
So, just how accessible was the event for a wheelchair user?
A good start on arrival
Before arriving, Emily said the Eisteddfod’s website was “full of information about accessibility, better than i’ve seen before".
Emily and her family parked in the blue badge parking area, around 10 minutes away from Ynysangharad Park, to try and avoid potential unreliability of public transport.
Arriving at the festival, Emily was happy to see that most of the paths through the field were flat, but she was "scared of the grass" in case she got stuck.
The learners' field (Maes D)
Emily is a Welsh learner so had been looking forward to visiting Maes D, but the biggest problem she faced on the field was getting to their tent.
The path which leads down to Maes D is steep and quite uneven.
With no other accessible option, Emily tried to use the path to get down to the tent but she got stuck.
Knowing she would not be able to go back up the hill to the main pavement of the field, she had to accept the help of someone passing by to pull her up.
The stalls
When visiting the stalls Emily found it difficult to get in and out of them.
Because of the space between the path and the grass, and then a steep ramp, she needed help to get in and out.
"The ramps [into the stalls] are steep so you need to have strong arms, which I don't have," she said.
To get out and get back on the pavement, she needed help getting her wheelchair back up as well.
In other areas of the field, there were some steep areas which meant she had to get help once again.
The main stage
In the field facing the main stage, there are benches which leave room for wheelchair users.
Emily said benches like this made her feel like part of a group, instead of sitting at the head of the table.
"I love them," she said.
Going over the lawn with the wheelchair, Emily said: "The grass is fine now, but when it rains that's a big problem."
Overall, Emily was satisfied that the floor of the field was level and that she could access a wheelchair site in the Pavilion, and accessible toilets near the Lido.
Her intention is to use social media to raise awareness of the challenges and stereotypes which disabled people face.
A spokesperson for the Eisteddfod said: "We brief all our stewards during their training, and Ollie, our accessibility officer, is part of the briefing before the Eisteddfod starts.
"We have signs guiding people to our accessibility hub and our quiet area around the ‘Maes’, and everyone is very welcome in the hub.
"We have already installed mats to facilitate for wheelchair users, and packed the food area again overnight ready for the morning."
To see how Emily's day went on the field, you can watch here.