Not Built For Me: Auckland nightlife a step too far for disabled partygoer

Tuesday, 22 March 2022

Stuff journalist Ripu Bhatia looks at the challenges wheelchair users face when going for a beer in Auckland.

Disabled people navigate a world that is often not built to suit their needs. In part five of this six-part series, Ripu Bhatia shows just how hard it can be to go out for a beer.

OPINION: Hitting the town is a staple of life in Aotearoa – the simple joy of catching up with friends and forgetting about your problems for a night.

But for people with disabilities like me, it can be a bit more complicated than simply having your ID on hand and wearing a polished pair of shoes.

Stuff reporter Ripu Bhatia explores the accessibility of bars across three popular nightlife spots in Auckland. [Image description: Ripu Bhatia in his power chair in the middle of an Auckland footpath. He is wearing glasses, a black blazer and blue collared shirt and looking directly at the camera.]

Steps, narrow entryways and other obstacles can even make it impossible, despite the fact the law requires bars to provide access and facilities for disabled people.

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I explored the accessibility of bars across three popular Auckland nightlife spots to find out how many I could access. Spoiler alert: Not many.

Karangahape Rd (42 per cent failed)

Not even a collared shirt is enough to gain disabled people access to many bars in Ponsonby, with 42 per cent failing Stuff’s accessibility test. [Image description: Ripu Bhatia facing away from the camera in his power chair, talking to a staff member outside a bar. He is unable to enter the courtyard area as a step is blocking his way.]

Karangahape, or K Rd, is known for being a home for people who don't fit in anywhere else.

People draped in op shop fashion flock to retro-themed bars to enjoy a wine or cocktail, or to check out a local band or DJ.

But how welcoming is this place for disabled people?

Five of the 12 bars on K Rd failed the accessibility test, with the central issue being a lack of accessible bathrooms.

While checking out Love Shack Baby, I noticed the men's bathroom stall was too narrow for someone in a wheelchair to fit through.

I queried this with the bar staff, who to my surprise recommended I use the slightly larger women’s stall.

Along the rest of the street there were many other bathroom stalls that were either too small for wheelchair users to enter, or on a different level and required steps to access them.

This can present a major issue for a disabled person, particularly if they’ve had a few drinks and are feeling the floodgates start to open.

Fhloston Paradise has boxes and plants blocking its only accessible entrance, and two steps at the front. [Image description: A ramp leads up to the entrance to a bar, but it is blocked by a planter box.]

When back in the office, I gave Love Shack Baby a call. Owner Reece Waititi claimed there was a bathroom for disabled people at his venue.

When I told him that neither I nor the staff member could find one for men, Waititi said he’d be conducting works on the men’s bathroom to make the entrance easier and wider for disabled people.

“I want to make it easier for them,” Waititi said.

Ripu Bhatia, a Stuff journalist, uses a wheelchair and ran into repeated access issues when trying to enter a number of bars and restaurants on Ponsonby Rd.

So which bars were accessible on Karangahape Rd?

Passed: Candela, Verona, Eagle Bar, Coco’s Cantina, Peach Pit, Atelier, Apero

Failed: Pitt Street Bar, Saloon Bar, Love Shack Baby, Trilogy, Celeste.

Ponsonby Rd (45 per cent failed)

The law requires bars to provide access and facilities for disabled people, however it appears to be widely ignored. [Image description: Three people, wearing masks, walk on the footpath outside a bar, which has floor-to-ceiling glass windows. People are seated at all the tables inside the bar, and there are four cars parked outside.]

The posh bars on Ponsonby Rd draw a trendy crowd, looking to enjoy a midweek pint or an evening of clubbing.

But for someone in a wheelchair, not even a collared shirt will be enough to guarantee you entry to many of the bars here.

Ten of the 22 bars on Ponsonby Rd failed the accessibility test, with eight having steps at the entrance which made it impossible for a wheelchair to get in.

It is worth noting that some places, although accessible, were terribly inconvenient.

A large step greets customers at the entrance of Azabu, and I was advised there was an accessible entrance around the back.

Bhatia explored 38 bars across Ponsonby Rd, Karangahape Rd and Tyler St. [Image description: A close-up of the controller on Ripu Bhatia’s power chair. He is navigating down a footpath outside a shop, and there is a bus and a car on the street.]

However, locating this proved problematic as I had to venture around two other streets and then up an alleyway. I was lost for about ten minutes before eventually stumbling upon it.

There’s a step at the entrance to Fhloston Paradise, and I was guided around to a ramp entrance on the side of the bar.

But two large potted plants sat blocking this entrance. Staff advised me they could heave these out the way, but that felt awkward and uncomfortable.

While I was able to get into Freeman & Grey itself, I wasn’t able to get to the actual bar and the bathroom as steps barred my way.

Freeman & Grey is owned by Cook Brothers Bars. When contacted for comment later, multi-site manager Dale Armstrong claimed there was an accessible entrance at the back of the building that leads to the bar and the bathroom.

When I asked why I was not directed to this entrance, and had not been able to locate it, Armstrong did not respond.

Here's a breakdown of which bars were accessible on Ponsonby Rd:

Passed: Chill Out, Fhloston Paradise, Longroom, Revelry, Grand Central, Hoppers, The Whiskey, Elmos, Chapel Bar, Daphnes Bar Taverna, Ten11, Azabu

Failed: De Grand, Broken Lantern, 242, Midnight Gardener, Freeman & Grey, Beau Wine Bar, Gyoza Bar, Ockee, Lime Bar, Poinciana.

Thirty-eight per cent of the bars Stuff visited were inaccessible, which shows disabled people face many barriers when trying to enjoy an evening out. [Image description: Ripu Bhatia in his power chair in front of a long driveway, with cars parked on both sides. The accessible entrance of a bar can be seen in the background, next to a line of rubbish bins.]

Tyler St (100 per cent passed)

A line of cosy pubs sit adjacent to the waterfront on Tyler St, often populated by people enjoying a drink after work.

I had no trouble with accessibility at any of the five bars situated here. Many had stairs at their main entrance but used tools like lifts and ramps to bypass this.

The Brit has a small lift that boosted me up a stairwell, and Brew on Quay has a ramp that looped me past the stairs to the bar.

Ostro and Bar Non Solo are located above the ground floor, and I was able to easily get up to them using a lift. There was even a small ramp upstairs to access different seating areas.

All accessibility issues were addressed, leading to an enjoyable, welcoming experience that I am eager to revisit.

Bar Non Solo is owned by hospitality business Savor Group.

When contacted for comment, spokeswoman Joanna Cooke said the group prided itself on ensuring venues are accessible to everyone.

“As a hospitality business with multiple venues we have an offering for everyone, and we believe in providing a welcoming place for all of our guests, and ensuring they have an exceptional time in any one of our venues,” she said.

Passed: Alma, The Britt, The Chamberlain, Brew on Quay, Ostro, Bar Non Solo.

Summary

I visited a total of 38 bars across three popular streets in this investigation, and of these places 15 failed the accessibility test. That's about 38 per cent.

So for a disabled person like me, finding a place where you can get in through the front door and order a drink can be a bit of a lottery.

This reflects my general experience pub crawling around Auckland, where obstacles are always getting in the way of enjoying an evening out.

Not only is this against the law, it's also economically detrimental to these places as I’ll probably go and spend my money somewhere else.

Hospitality New Zealand was contacted for comment for this piece but did not respond.