A drunken night out followed by a kebab to soak up the booze in the early hours of the morning is something many young people take for granted. But for those with disabilities, just making it to the dance floor requires a lot of extra planning - and an accessible venue.
Although nightclubs are covered by the Equality Act 2010, which legally protect people from discrimination, lots of disabled people have found venues can be far from enjoyable. But one nightclub and care firm recently paired up to ensure a group of disabled 27 to 34-year-old people could blow some steam off with a boozy night out.
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The group went viral after footage of them on their boozy night out was shared on TikTok - before they left the club for a kebab.
Nightclub PRYZM, in Bristol, even treated them to a VIP package which included two free bottles of prosecco, a private booth worth £100, and table service.
Manager Matt Rich said the experience was part of a new initiative from care firm New Key Bristol, and went down extremely well.
He said: "They're in their 20s and 30s and just want to go out and enjoy what other people their age do, which is dancing in a club to decent music and having a late night.
Footage shows Sam Potterton, who has Down syndrome, explaining how regular support trips such as museum visits are 'boring'.
Instead, the 31-year-old and his excited 'crew' hit the town and can be seen dancing wildly and posing for photos in the club.
He said the bunch 'pretty much danced all night' until 3am and even took snaps with other punters who were pleased to see them.
The video has been viewed more than 1.4million times, with users quick to praise New Key for their innovative work.
Matt added: "You can see the happiness on their faces. It's something to look forward to. They're all pumped at the meeting up stage and it's good for them to get together. This should be the norm.
"The things we take for granted can make a huge difference to the people we support because they've been very isolated through covid and they need to let off steam like the rest of us.
"As soon as they get in the club they pretty much dance all night. You barely sit down for any period of time. They tire me out.
"Sam's quite the character and he always comes home with a collection of selfies.
"There's an arrangement we have with them that if we think they're going overboard we'll tell them to slow down or stop, but that's a voluntary agreement they enter into.
"They respect that they get to do this and they're not treated like children, so they act and respond with a degree of maturity, so they don't get absolutely hammered.
"Sometimes they'll choose to drink to the point of being tipsy but they're not staggering around. They know their limits.
"There are club nights for people with learning difficulties, but they seem to empty out around 9.30pm and the music tends to be a bit old-fashioned. In reality, real life doesn't finish at 10pm.
"It's great for community inclusion because people genuinely love to see them there and people will have a dance with them and have their photos taken. It's refreshing.
"They wouldn't be safe to do it on their own, so they do need support there but we just dance alongside them and make sure people aren't stumbling into them."
Private firm New Key supports young adults who live independently with all aspects of their lives, including food shopping, managing their homes, their diet, and finances.
Matt has been buoyed by fellow clubbers' 'welcoming' attitude and claims the group have never received any abuse or mockery.
The 49-year-old began by taking out the people they support until around midnight as nightlife was getting busy, but now his outings run until 2-3am.
His idea was born on holidays to Butlin's where group members enjoyed dance music rather than the music at disability-aimed nights.
Sam and 27-year-old Laura Chick, who has cerebral palsy, explained just how much they appreciate being helped to enjoy their city's bustling nightlife.
Sam said: "I've had a wonderful time, it was fantastic. My favourite part was going VIP and drinking champagne and prosecco there. I like the music so much.
"I'm looking forward to going out again soon."
Laura added: "I had a great time. None of us had experienced VIP before and the free drinks were good. Usually I'll get VKs but we had free champagne."
One said: "As a support worker this was really great to see!"
Another said: "I love their independence, some care providers should watch this & remember what person-centred support looks like."
A third added: "This is genuinely the slice of good I needed to see in the world right now. Wonderful."
PRYZM Bristol unit manager Josh Bate said: "It gives us a huge buzz to see posts like this, where our guests have had an amazing time.
"PRYZM is all about creating a fantastic club experience where our guests come together, dance and have fun.
"Most importantly, this experience is for everyone, where every guest is treated equally and inclusively."
