Will older drinkers risk discrimination if they don’t have a smartphone?

by Lesley Clarke · 14th April 2021

Focus on Disability - For Disabled People, the Elderly and their Carers in the UK

Older drinkers risk discrimination says charity, after pub refuses to serve man without smartphone says an article in the Telegraph

Older drinkers are at risk of discrimination in pubs because they do not have smartphones to order food and drinks on an app, a charity has warned.

Pubs and restaurants reopened on Monday this week after months of lockdown, and many have turned to smartphone apps to allow customers to order without leaving their tables or speaking to staff.

But some venues have made ordering via app mandatory, and have refused to serve customers who do not have a smartphone.

Age UK warned on Tuesday that older customers are more at risk of being discriminated against by pubs that refuse to take orders verbally.

The charity said seven in ten of the UK’s over-70s do not use a smartphone, and warned similar policies risked “reducing the opportunities for some older people to enjoy socialising again”.

David Walters, 78, wrote to The Telegraph after he was refused service at The Angel at Corbridge on Monday.

Staff told him customers were required to use an app to order and submit their contact details to NHS Test and Trace, despite government guidance that allows drinkers to fill in their details on a paper form if they are unable to use the official NHS app.

While the guidelines encourage venues to use contact-free ordering from a table where possible, there is no legal requirement for customers to use an app if they are unable.

Read the full article here – https://uk.yahoo.com/news/older-drinkers-risk-discrimination-says-164849785.htmlhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/13/older-drinkers-risk-discrimination-says-charity-pub-refuses/