The Access Card and free companion tickets at theatres, gigs and attractions
Theatres, concert venues, festivals and attractions each set their own access rules. The Access Card is the closest thing to a common language between them. Here is what it does, how the +1 companion symbol is decided, and how to get a carer ticket even where the card is not used.
The short version
- The Access Card is a photo ID card from Nimbus Disability that shows your access needs as symbols.
- It costs £15 for 3 years. Some venues use a free registration scheme run by Nimbus instead.
- The +1 symbol, for an essential companion, is what many venues use to decide on a free or discounted carer ticket.
- A card is not a legal guarantee of a free companion ticket. Each venue sets its own policy.
What the Access Card is
The Access Card is run by Nimbus Disability. It works as photo ID that tells a venue what you need without you having to explain your condition or show medical letters each time. It also links to some online ticketing systems, so access tickets can be unlocked when you book. The Access Card app has a directory of venues and their access information.
The card has 9 spaces for symbols. You only get the symbols that match your needs, based on the evidence you send.
What the symbols mean
Nimbus describes the symbols like this:
- Difficulty standing: for physical impairments that make standing for long periods difficult or impossible.
- Difficulty with crowds: for people who find crowds or queues overwhelming or distressing, often because of neurodivergence or a mental health condition.
- Level access: for people who need wheelchair-accessible facilities or cannot manage even a few steps.
- Distance: for people who find it hard to move more than short distances.
- Urgent toilet needs: for continence issues. Venues are told this means urgent access to a toilet without question. Nimbus says all cardholders have access to accessible toilets.
- +1 essential companion: for people who would find it significantly difficult to use a service without support from another person.
- Visual information and audible information: for people who find visual or spoken information a barrier, such as blind and deaf people.
- Miscellaneous: for anything else, such as photosensitive epilepsy. It prompts the venue to ask you what you need.
How the +1 symbol is decided
The +1 symbol is the one that usually leads to a free or cheaper companion ticket, so it is worth understanding the test. Nimbus says you must be able to show that the support you need is substantial, significant or frequent, that it is directly related to your disability, and that without it you would get a lesser service. The support has to go beyond what friends or family already with you could reasonably be expected to give.
For children, Nimbus says it does not question that a child may need a certain amount of support when out, but it is unlikely to award +1 where the child would already be directly supervised by a parent or family member. In other words, being a child who needs an adult is not enough on its own. Where a disabled child needs much more help than another child of the same age, explain that clearly, with examples, and send evidence that shows it.
Even with +1, Nimbus says the result might be a companion ticket, or it might be extra help from the venue’s own staff. It depends on the venue.
Cost and how to apply
The Access Card costs £15 and lasts 3 years. You apply on the Access Card website and upload evidence about your disability and how it affects you. Send evidence that supports each symbol you need. The site’s knowledge base explains how it allocates symbols.
Some venues and companies ask Nimbus to run a free registration scheme for them. If you join one of those, you get a Digital Access Pass number that unlocks access bookings at that provider, but no physical card. You can find these through the Find a Provider directory.
Booking a companion ticket
- Look up the venue’s access page. Check whether it uses the Access Card, a free Nimbus registration, its own form, or something else such as a benefit letter.
- If it uses the Access Card, link your card number to your account on the venue’s or ticket seller’s website if it offers that.
- Book through the access booking route if there is one. Companion tickets are often not available through the general online checkout.
- Book early for popular shows. Accessible seats and companion places are limited.
- Take your card or evidence on the day.
Where the Access Card does not help
The CEA Card scheme for cinemas does not accept the Access Card as proof, so for the cinema you need a CEA Card. Some attractions and theme parks run their own ride access or queue schemes with their own rules, and a few venues do not use any card.
If a venue has no scheme, you can still ask for a reasonable adjustment, such as a free ticket for a carer. In England, Scotland and Wales, the Equality Act 2010 expects service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers, and Northern Ireland has its own disability discrimination law. If you are refused and think it is unfair, the Equality Advisory and Support Service can advise.
Related entitlement pages
- Access Card (Nimbus) — A widely used access and companion card for venues, theatres and attractions, showing the adjustments you need.
- Carer and companion concessions at attractions — Many visitor attractions offer a free or reduced essential-companion ticket if you are disabled and need support to visit.
- CEA Card — A cinema card that lets a companion go free when you buy a full-price ticket at participating cinemas.
- Max Card — A discount card for families of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities, giving free or cheaper entry at participating days out.
Organisations that can help
These are listings from our directory. They are not a recommendation, and they may not cover your area.
Equality Advisory and Support Service
Free service providing advice on discrimination and human rights issues in England, Scotland and Wales. It can help you understand your rights and next steps; it is not a solicitor firm.
Community care and discrimination
Disability Rights UK
National disabled people's organisation. Its own helplines cover personal budgets and direct payments, and disabled students in post-16 education in England — not general social security benefits advice. Opening hours are limited; check the website.
Benefits advice and welfare rights
Scope
National disability charity offering free, independent information and advice for disabled people and families, including a helpline and webchat. Check the website for current opening hours.
Benefits advice and welfare rights
Frequently asked questions
Will an Access Card get my carer in free everywhere?
No. It tells a venue what you need, but each venue decides its own concessions. A card is not a legal guarantee of a free companion ticket.
Can my child get the +1 symbol?
Possibly. Nimbus says it is unlikely to award +1 where a child would already be directly supervised by a parent, so you need to show that your child needs substantially more support than that because of their disability.
Does the Access Card work at the cinema?
Some cinemas may accept it for their own adjustments, but the national cinema scheme is the CEA Card, and the CEA Card scheme does not accept other access cards as proof when you apply.
Is there a free alternative?
Some venues use a free registration scheme run by Nimbus, which gives you a Digital Access Pass number for that venue only. Venues may also accept a benefit letter or their own form.
This guide is part of our Days out, cinema and carer concessions if you are disabled guide. You might also want: The CEA Card explained, Days out with the Max Card, Changing Places toilets and the Radar key.