Wheelchair users and poor facilities

A local small Marks & Spencer store refused to let a lady use their in store wheelchair as it was for emergencies only. This lady has used their wheelchair for a few years now but was now told they were not insured. Her friend takes her for a weekly shop in this store but is also elderly and cannot lift the lady's own wheelchair in and out of the car, so they rely on getting to the store and using the wheelchair located inside the door which they assumed was for customer's use. The manager is trying to resolve this problem but many other M & S stores have wheelchairs for customer's use so I cannot understand why this store has a different policy.

Interesting blog but trouble is there are very few people in wheelchairs - you form only a small percentage of the current UK 'disabled' population - and thus a tiny, tiny percentage of the general UK population. It is usually more expensive to provide acess ... and very expensive to provide access in preexisting/historical buildings. I for one don't want to pay (via taxes or higher prices) for the relatively very, very few people who use a wheelchair. I know I may eventually become a wheelchair user and all that but I wouldn't see why everyone else has to pay for me.

I visited Marks & Spencers in Aintree with my mum who is a wheelchair user. My mums chair was in being services so I asked the store if I could use on of there chairs.they stated that I could not as they kept theres for emergencies only. I explained that my mum has parkinsons disease and was unable to walk more than 20steps as she shuffles and falls over. I explained that we needed to go upstairs in the store to visit the underwear section after firstly ding our food shopping there, they still stated that we could not use the chair, I explained that if an emergency happened in the store whilst my mum was in the chair I would return it straight away, they still would not let me use the chair,i do my weekly shopping in this store every week along with buying mine and my mothers clothes there at all times. I feel so let down as a customer. please could I have some feedback regarding this issue as when I spoke to the shop assistants regarding this issue in the liverpool city centre branch they stated that this is not right.

Police vehicles, if you have to park in disabled bays every weekend, can you only take up ONE space please?

Why not park in the taxi bays, oh I forgot, you don't want to look racist do you.

Our little girl is in a wheelchair, I don't expect every last shop or building in the UK to have a ramp, but very busy buildings like the "German embassy in grosvenor square London", is the only place in the UK where you can get a German passport, these places should have ramps to give a bit of dignity to wheelchair users. (my wife is German) wheelchairs shouldn't have to be carried up a flight of stairs,

There is enough people without work in the UK, lets have a few more ramps built please.

I had an accident which has left me using a wheelchair. I love it when people say 'you can still do everything you used to''.. well I used to have a very active social life. Now I just don't go out and barely bother seeing anybody, pubs just don't have access, even if you squeezed a wheelchair in then you'd find there isnt a disabled toilet. Its all bullshit

My dad has a small shop in an old building, which is big enough for a wheelchair user to shop in, but not work in. As him and my mum are the only employees, and will only ever be the only employees, this isn't too much of a problem.

tryer
wolfies partner her yes I am possibly biased having just recently ended up on crutches myself however hopefully not permenantly..
I would just like to point out that wolfie would love to ride a bike and do things we would consider normal however due to her condition it is not possible .
If you work in retail or a company that deals with the public I suggest you take up wolfies point and try a wheelchair for a day you will change your opinion im sure.
Think yourself lucky to be able to get up and walk away from your pc and not wheel away

Hi Dave,I'm sorry to say that mostly there's little that can be done. You could request assistance from your local social services, or from the owners of the buildling. Unless there is an alternative doorway, there's not much that they can do (or so they say). I use a 20" wheelchair (they go by seat size) and can't manage regular sized doors. An 18 or 16" shouldn't have too many problems though. Not sure if it helped any and I'm willing to go digging if you'd like.

Hi, any idea where one can go for info on this subject. My wife helps run a pre-school. For the first time they are faced with a mum, injured in a car accident, who is wheelchair bound. The door to the school is a "standard" size door, typical of an ordinary residential uPVC front door, with a lip of approx 6 inches off the ground. The placing of a ramp won't be difficult. But they doubt the door is wide enough.

Thanks for the feed back guys. Yep, it's me in the chair and no, I've not only just noticed the 2 tier system. This is the first place I felt I could get this off my chest. I was born with a genetic defect (not my brain, lol). It's called Ehler-Danlos syndrome and it's slowly degenerating. There will be a time when being independent won't be a possibility, so I'm doing what I can to bring to the notice of stores and companies (usually very politely with simple ideas so that they can see the issues from our angle, and hopefully improve their profits) while I'm still able. Sorry about the soap box

Wolfie hi,

I am a little bewildered as to why the originator has just recently become 'horrified' at the lack of access to basic things. Am I correct in stating that you cared not or paid very little attention, prior to your current, unfortunate situation?

We can't build two worlds. I am sure Tryer (below) is correct, people are doing their best. It is unfortunate the card you have been dealt, as it is for people in similar circumstances as yourself.