Man’s angry letter sparks Twitter fight as Alton Towers bans those with ADHD from disability pass

A massive debate has been ignited on Twitter after a man penned a lengthy letter to Alton Towers following its decision to stop people with certain conditions from using its disability pass.

On February 5, Merlin Entertainments announced that, for at least the February half-term, people with autism, ADHD, and anxiety would not be permitted to use its disability pass. Usually, this would enable people with “difficulty with crowds” to jump forward in the queue. People with “difficulty standing,” “level access”, or “urgent toilet needs” will still be permitted.

The entertainment brand, which will also implement the rules at sites like Chessington World of Adventures and Windsor Legoland, said the change was decided on because it “simply isn’t working for them” and that “queue times for these guests have increased.”

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“Our commitment to supporting neurodiverse guests and those with mental health needs remains. We are listening carefully to this feedback and are committed to keeping this approach under review ahead of our main season openings in March,” Rob Smith, chief operating officer at Merlin Entertainments, told the BBC.

“We remain deeply committed to creating inclusive experiences and ensuring all guests feel supported when visiting our attractions.”

The decision was met with widespread criticism from charitable organisations and mental health workers, but it was a 400-word letter from an independent journalist that really poured gasoline on the fire.

This man slammed the Alton Towers disability pass changes

Captioning his 400-word letter to his local MP, Karen Bradley, on Twitter, Jack Roworth wrote: “I have ADHD. Alton Towers removing disability access for people like me is not fairness, it’s exclusion. I’ve written to Dame Karen Bradley MP asking her to challenge this before it becomes permanent. Disabled voices matter.”

In the letter itself, which echoed similar sentiments from notable charities, Jack argued that it’s “exclusion” as he pointed out that ADHD, autism, and anxiety are not “lesser disabilities.”

He wrote: “For many people, queues, crowds and prolonged waiting are not just uncomfortable – they can be overwhelming, distressing and unsafe.

I have ADHD.

Alton Towers removing disability access for people like me is not fairness, it's exclusion.

I've written to Dame Karen Bradley MP asking her to challenge this before it becomes permanent.

Disabled voices matter. pic.twitter.com/5055Yi76hl

— Jack Roworth (@RoworthJack) February 5, 2026

“I speak from personal experience. I have ADHD. I do not take medication, but that does not reduce the seriousness of the condition. ADHD causes extreme restlessness, and when that restlessness builds, it can be genuinely destabilising. I have reached points where I could not sleep for days and ended up travelling to other countries simply because my mind and body would not settle. That is the level of restlessness I am talking about. It is not a choice, and it is not something a ‘quiet space’ simply fixes.”

He said that when organisations are able to decide which disabilities are “valid enough”, it opens the door to more dehumanisation. He referenced Aston Villa supporters being locked in an away box in Istanbul, because “I would hate to see our country drift towards that way of thinking.”

I have ADHD.

I do not think it should be classified as a disability. https://t.co/HoKygQ7Nwy

— Loïc (@Fremond_) February 5, 2026

He urged Alton Towers and Merlin Entertainments to reconsider their position, adding: “I hope you will act to ensure vulnerable people are not pushed further to the margins.”

It amassed nearly 500k views, and then the debate started

Jack’s tweet and accompanying letter went viral, and soon enough, half a million people were reading his impassioned words and forming their own opinions. He unwittingly started a Twitter debate, and not one that seems to have a concrete answer or solution.

I had my first panic attack at Chessington in the queue for Cobra. I told my mom something is wrong with me, she replied…

“grow tf up u dumbass weasel, stop making excuses for your b*tch ass behaviour u no good for nothing panzy”.

Ain’t been back since and neither should you https://t.co/VsFE0N9ru0

— Lots of fees (@itsuhhhhhme) February 5, 2026

One person wrote: “So you need a quiet space away from crowds & queues at a THEME PARK, to wait for a rollercoaster, which hurtles you around until you vomit into your mouth? I hate crowds &, whilst I approve of queuing, I don’t like doing it either. But how is queuing at a THEME PARK ‘unsafe’?”

“Queuing for an hour gives him anxiety but getting strapped into a piece of metal attached to two railway tracks and hurtling around at 60+mph is relaxing?” someone else questioned.

But it’s not so cut and dry, as Henry Shelford, chief executive of the ADHD UK charity, explained: “As an adult with ADHD, I can tell you there’s a whole lot of stuff I haven’t done because I can’t face the queuing. I have a need to move all the time, and being penned in in that way is very difficult for me as an adult. And it’s near impossible for children and others.”

This debate isn’t getting settled anytime soon.

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Featured image credit: Sonny Meddle/Shutterstock and Twitter