Mobility scooter versus wheelchair discrimination
I chose mobility scooter over wheelchair as I like to have my handbag in front of me rather than behind.
I joined a scrabble club which is held in an annexe attached to a centre for senior citizens. The building has disabled toilets which suggests disabled people are welcome. I attended this club for over a year and nothing was said to me about my scooter until one day just before Christmas when I was told I would have to leave my scooter outside as it was their policy not to allow scooters in the building. I asked why and was told they scratched the floor and after Christmas they were having a new floor. I wasn't even allowed to go until that happened. Another lady was in this building in an electric wheelchair so i queried why she was allowed and not me. I was told a wheelchair was different and this lady remained in a carpeted area although she wasn't in it at the time. To get to the scrabble room I would have to go on the hard floor.
Another lady at the scrabble club thought it was discrimination and she queried it and the reply then came that I wasn't old enough to use the centre. We then established you have to be 55 and I'm 57 so no problem there, and what had that to do with it anyway. Then we got told that scooters dripped water on the floor when it was raining. I don't see a scooter would drip any more water than a wheelchair, a rollator (which several other people use) or an umbrella. Then it was motors that weren't allowed so we seemed to be going round in circles. I then got told that the centre had a manual wheelchair which I could use once in the building but the scooter had to be left outside. I can't self propel a wheelchair so that would mean needing someone to push me in and out and what difference would wheelchair wheels have over my scooter.
My scooter is a small one, I could understand it if I had one of the big road worthy ones. Does anyone know legally if they can do this to me. I have not been to the scrabble club this year as I don't want to leave it outside where it could be stolen or damaged and I don't want to have to keep asking someone to push me in the manual wheelchair anyway. It's a loss of my independence and was the only little social outing I had.
Rosemary
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Rosemary,
That's terrible! To me it sounds as if they're using one excuse after another to keep you out. It definitely looks like discrimination to me. Could someone like the Citizens Advice Bureau, or another organisation, offer advice?
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Hi Gary
It's not easy for me getting into the CAB but I suppose I could try them. I did try my local council that own the building but they say they don''t have any say in the running of it but had tried to contact the manager to ask why they were putting in such a sensitive floor in a public building, but they didn't get any answer. I just wondered if anybody knew the laws on these things.
Rosemary
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another place to talk is the BBC Ouch! messageboard - there are a lot of people there very switched on regarding disability issues.
I presume scooters are seen as something different because certainly they are banned from the Tyne & Wear metro - although here I can sympathise because of the accidents - in this case it's a tricky call.
It sounds like they have not got a clear policy. Ask the senior citizens centre for their disability equality policy, tell them you feel that their behaviour may be in breach of the disability discrimination act and that you're seeking advice on it (all of which is true).
However, they are offering an alternative - the manual wheelchair - the question is whether or not that is a reasonable alternative. If the club are also prepared to provide someone to push it whenever you need to go anywhere, I'd suggest it may be reasonable. If not, then I certainly don't see it as an equivalent so I would suggest it is not reasonable.
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But don't take any of this as legal advice: I'm not a lawyer, this is just my humble, man in the street opinion
Jack Pickard The Pickards Information Services| Blog | Twit
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Thanks Jack. That clip about the railways was interesting, scary actually. I've never been brave enough to go on a train as the ones where I live you'd need a ramp and you have to book in advance. I'd be scared of getting to my stop and then nobody helping me off.
There does seem to be a need for some legislation as I don't think the big ones should be allowed in small places. They are designed for the road and most people I see on these can actually walk round the shops they just need it to get from a to b liek a car. Mine is a small one which takes the place of a wheelchair and personally I can't see why it should be classed as anything different. I couldn't keep twisting to get to a bag hung on the back of a wheelchair and it poses a threat of being mugged more easily. I will have a look round the Ouch site. I do belong to it but haven't ever really got to grips with it.
Rosemary
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This completely sounds like they are wrong. How can they not allow you access on your scooter? If this is how you move around it seems wrong that they would tell you not to use it in the building. I agree that scooter tires are not that different from wheelchair tires. Especially on small scooters which is what you say you use. I would suggest you try talking to someone that has some experience in disability cases. Last I checked it was illegal to discriminate against people with any type of disability.
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I think that may well be the case, but if there are space issues, it is reasonable to ask for scooters to be left outside, as if most people have a good ability to walk, then there wouldn't be a problem I believe in distance to get to the nesecarry chair, but some small shops, may ask for them to be left outside, so it doesn't impare access for blind or the visually impaired, as I know someitmes these scooters can take up a lot of space and cause more problems, when a lot of these users can walk reasonable distances and as such these users it would be reasonable for them to be asked to leave them outside, as I believe the wheels are thicker and I also believe are signficantly heavier than the standard electric wheelchairs.
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Mobility scooters are treated differently than wheelchairs as far as The Equality Act 2010 is concern.
A mobility scooter is considered a mobility aid to walking and used mainly by people that can walk limited distance, a wheelchair on the other hand is mainly used by those that cannot walk, walk very unstable or extreme short distances.
Shops for example are not obliged to offer access to mobility scooters, they are however obliged to offer access to wheelchair users.
That said, it does sound like this bunch just don't want you in there and are being somewhat petty, try throwing this question at them.
Will you supply me with wheelchair to enable me to transfer from my scooter at the entrance door and then use the wheelchair inside? , I suspect they will say no and use cost as an excuse, in that case, ask if you purchase one can it be stored there? ( plenty cheap on eBay)
If they say no to all these questions, go find yourself a club that is a dam site friendlier than this one or better still start up your own and pinch half of their members into the bargain
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