The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 will have more power from October this year. From that date, people in charge of buildings in the private sector as well as the public sector will have to think more carefully to gain access for people confined to a wheelchair. There is a Minister for the Disabled, Maria Eagle. There is also a website if you want to find out further details.
I know from personal experience, because I use a wheelchair on holiday, just
how difficult it sometimes is to get around. Fortunately I can get out of my
wheelchair if necessary, but I cannot walk quickly, or for long distances, or
tackle lots of stairs. I use wheelchair assistance at airports and rail
stations. (I will write about this assistance in another issue of the magazine).
People who rely completely on their wheelchairs, must often get marooned because
of thoughtlessness on the part of someone else. Inconsiderate parking on the
pavement can be an absolute disaster for someone trying to get around them.
People who are not disabled sometimes park in a disabled space, and that can
stop a disabled driver from parking at all.
I knew someone who needed a motorised wheelchair. He had a ramp fitted to his front door, but was still marooned until the Council came to drop the kerb level outside his house. That job took months to do! I have heard of disappointed teenagers wanting to attend a function and because of steps were turned away. What a blow to anyone's self-esteem being treated this way.
I go to a gym and I would really like to meet the planner who decided to
put that upstairs. I have at present to negotiate 20 steps to get up there
and
,
of course, 20 steps to leave. I am worn out before I even start exercising.
Then
there are a few steps to two more levels within that floor. There is no toilet
up there either! I am in the process of pointing out the deficiencies of these
facilities to the management. It is such a pity the position of the gym is
so
badly sited, because there are also two pools within the same complex and their
changing facilities for the disabled and the access to the pool is second to
none. I hope they listen to what I am saying, as I do not want to be awkward
and
report them, but the new legislation will mean large fines if the owners cannot
show they are making plans to put in proper facilities. I hope these premises
have access plans formulated and they are acted upon quickly, because I could
be
quite exhausted by the time a lift is installed. I am pursuing the matter
vigorously and would far rather be a consultant for the disabled, than a moaner
decrying everything that is done at the Leisure Centre. The ironic part of
this is that a lot of people are there because their doctors have prescribed
an
exercise on prescription plan for them and it obviously brings in more business
to the gym. I hope the stairs don't exacerbate any problems they have already!
Please
look around in shops and other buildings where you go and try to imagine how
you would get about if you were confined to a wheelchair. It is up to us all
to stand up for the disabled, who
up until now have had quite a raw deal. There are 8½ million people who are
disabled in this country and that must provide quite a chunk of business for
firms providing access. It is just so short-sighted to exclude people. Sometimes
signing to the lifts is poor and it is difficult to find them within a store.
If
everyone spent a bit of time looking for these sorts of trouble spots and gently
informing the store of what is wrong, things could so dramatically improve.
There is an organisation locally which tries to help people who experience difficulties with access, Access for All. I wrote to them when I had had a journey from hell on an overcrowded train. I had to sit on the floor in a corridor area of the bar, packed like sardines with my fellow passengers. I cannot stand for long periods. I imagined being dressed for a wedding that day and what the state of my outfit would have been at the end of the journey.
I also contacted them when extra double yellow lines were painted by a new roundabout. Disabled badge holders can in some circumstances park on double yellow lines, but when the lines extend up onto the pavement, parking is not allowed. These lines were directly outside a public toilet in Kirkham. This meant that a person in a wheelchair was not able to park right outside a toilet. I wrote to my MP about this, he wrote to the Police and hopefully these lines will be altered in due course.
It needs people to stand up and be counted before things will be sorted out. You could help by just being aware of the difficulties people face. You too may make a difference to someone's life just by having a quiet word with Customer Services. Stores do want to get things right as long as it does not cost them too much, so do not be coy in coming forward, disabled people will be very grateful for your help.
© Fulwood Methodist Church
17:04:45 Wednesday, 26 October 2005
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