End of Diabetes Discrimination in Nightclubs

This petition is a call to end all discrimination against individuals with diabetes. Specifically, we seek to effect a change to the discriminatory policies of certain nightclubs, which prevent people with diabetes from carrying their insulin (injection pens) with them inside the venues. These nightclubs include:

The End, London
Ministry of Sound, London
Turnmills, London

Insulin is vital for life: without insulin we would die. It is unjustifiable and beyond reason that these nightclubs essentially confiscate the insulin of individuals with diabetes, insisting it is given to club staff, club medics or stored away.

These policies are founded on ignorance and cannot be justified. We are told these policies exist in the interest of public safety. Nonetheless, these policies clearly do not take into consideration the health and safety of individuals with diabetes entering these clubs.

Furthermore, these policies seem to be in direct contravention of the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995. This Act states that it is unlawful for a provider of services to discriminate against a disabled person in failing to comply with any duty imposed on him by section 21 (section 19, 1,b). Section 21 reads:

Where a provider of services has a practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled persons to make use of a service which he provides it is his duty to take such steps as it is reasonable, in all the circumstances of the case, for him to have to change that practice, policy or procedure so that it no longer has that effect.

The effects of discrimination can be far-reaching, extremely damaging and limiting. We earnestly urge you to question the legality of these discriminatory policies, and to act to change them. We ask for a common sense approach to make the necessary changes so that these nightclubs provide equal and fair treatment for all, including individuals with diabetes.