The recent changes Merlin has made to its Ride Access Pass (RAP) system are deeply disappointing and raise serious concerns regarding discrimination against neurodivergent guests and those with non-visible disabilities.
With no meaningful warning, Merlin has implemented changes that effectively exclude neurodivergent individuals from accessing its parks. The message now being communicated is that unless a guest has a physical disability, they no longer qualify for support. This approach appears to disregard non-visible disabilities entirely.
Under the Equality Act 2010, disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Neurodivergent conditions clearly fall within this definition, and service providers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to avoid placing disabled people at a substantial disadvantage.
Merlin’s current RAP criteria do not reflect the real needs of many disabled guests and families and disproportionately affect neurodivergent children and their carers, placing them at a significant disadvantage compared to non-disabled guests.
The suggested “alternatives,” such as sensory rooms or purchasable ear defenders, do not constitute reasonable adjustments to the core barrier faced by neurodivergent guests: the inability to tolerate long queues. A sensory room does not make queueing accessible, and ear defenders do not make prolonged waiting manageable. These measures do not remove the disadvantage and therefore fall short of meaningful access provision.
As a neurodivergent parent of a neurodivergent child, we are now unable to access Merlin parks in the way we previously could. We are far from alone. Thousands of families who have relied on RAP for years to access attractions safely and fairly are now affected by these changes.
What makes this particularly concerning is the contrast between Merlin’s public commitments to inclusivity and accessibility and the practical effect of these policies. Inclusivity cannot be claimed while whole groups of disabled people are excluded. Equality is not achieved by recognising only visible disabilities.
Neurodivergent people are disabled by environments, and these changes actively increase that disadvantage. Until the RAP system is reviewed and neurodivergent guests are meaningfully recognised in line with Equality Act obligations, Merlin’s parks cannot reasonably be considered accessible or inclusive. As a result, myself and many others are cancelling our passes.
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