High Force Waterfall: When Accessibility Is About More Than Ramps
High Force Waterfall: When Accessibility Is About More Than Ramps
After the email I received today, I have made the difficult decision that I will no longer be visiting High Force Waterfall while I remain disabled.
That is not a decision I wanted to make.
I love nature. I love our countryside. I believe disabled people should be able to enjoy these beautiful places just as much as anyone else. But I also deserve to be treated with dignity when I do.
The outcome of my complaint has left me feeling that I am simply not welcome there as a disabled visitor. What upset me most wasn't just the original interaction itself, but that, after a formal investigation, I was left feeling that my experience had not been properly understood.
This experience was never about wanting special treatment. It was about wanting to be treated with basic human respect.
Before anyone had asked why my partner was carrying a foldable chair, it was refused. Before anyone knew it was a disability aid, assumptions had already been made.
When I asked, "So you expect me to sit on the floor?" it wasn't sarcasm.
It was a genuine question.
Because for many disabled people, if they cannot use the equipment that enables them to rest safely, sitting on the ground may genuinely become the only option.
That isn't inclusion.
Accessibility is not just about wheelchair ramps or accessible toilets. It is also about attitude.
It's about taking a moment to ask instead of assuming.
It's about recognising that disabilities are not always visible.
It's about understanding that many disabled people spend their lives adapting simply to access the same places everyone else enjoys.
As an autistic disabled woman, being spoken to abruptly and having assumptions made before I could explain my needs was incredibly distressing.
What disappointed me even more was reading the complaint response.
I appreciate that organisations have to investigate complaints fairly and reach their own conclusions. However, I also believe disabled people's lived experiences deserve careful consideration, even when those experiences cannot be fully captured by CCTV or witness statements.
No disabled person should feel that they have to record every outing simply to have their experience believed. That should never become the expectation.
Speaking up about accessibility is not about getting someone into trouble. It's about improving services for the next disabled person who walks through the gate.
If organisations can reflect, learn and improve, everyone benefits.
I don't expect perfection.
I do expect professionalism.
I expect empathy.
I expect disabled people to be asked questions before assumptions are made.
I expect reasonable conversations instead of immediate refusals.
Most of all, I expect disabled people to be treated with the same respect afforded to everyone else.
This experience has left me feeling that High Force is no longer somewhere I can visit with confidence.
That makes me incredibly sad.
I will continue speaking up—not because I enjoy complaints, but because silence never improved accessibility.
If sharing my experience encourages even one organisation to pause, listen and ask, "How can we support this person?" before making assumptions, then this blog has served its purpose.
I will no longer visit anywhere where I'm mistreated or made to feel unwelcome.
Disabled people are not asking for special treatment.
We're asking for equal respect.
And that should never be too much to ask.
— Sarah Wingfield ❤️
Actor • Author • Advocate
KawaiiDollDecora.uk
I can't recommend:
High Force Hotel & Waterfall
Alston Road
Forest-in-Teesdale
Barnard Castle
County Durham
DL12 0XH
#DisabilityRights #Accessibility #AccessibilityMatters #DisabledPeople #DisabilityAwareness #InvisibleDisability #ChronicIllness #DisabledVoices #DisabilityAdvocate #Ableism #ReasonableAdjustments #InclusionMatters #Equality #RespectDisabledPeople #AutismAcceptance #AuDHD #EhlersDanlos #POTS #ChronicPain #LivedExperience #Advocacy #HumanRights #HighForce #NatureForEveryone #DoBetter
Alt text:
Close-up portrait of Sarah Wingfield outdoors against a backdrop of green leaves and natural woodland. She is looking down with her eyes closed, wearing burgundy glasses, pink and silver eyeshadow, two braids with heart-shaped hair accessories, a nose stud, lip piercings and a colourful necklace. She is dressed in a pink patterned top with a white strap visible. A pink branded logo in the top-right corner reads "Sarah Wingfield – Actress | Author | Advocate – KawaiiDollDecora.uk". Large bold pink text across the image reads: "...WE DESERVE BASIC RESPECT AND SUPPORT AND INCLUSION, NOT INTERROGATION, RIDICULE AND NEGATIVE ATTITUDES..." The overall mood is reflective, conveying exhaustion and a call for dignity, inclusion and respect for disabled people.
