...to name and shame somewhere for being disablist?

[GrumpyInsomniac]

Went to a hospital appointment yesterday lunchtime. Came out hungry and decided that, since there was a chain nearby that had food I could safely eat (I'm coeliac) I would pop round and grab something before hopping on a bus home.

I got there and found this. Which is a bummer when you're in a wheelchair and your kerb climber won't quite extend to that height of step. I signalled a member of staff and asked whether they had any ramps they could put down - central London, this didn't seem unreasonable. She went and got the branch manager who confirmed they had no ramps but he would escalate to head office.

I asked how that got me my lunch now, and told him a reasonable adjustment under the act would be to offer to take my order and money from the street and bring me my food and my change while I waited. He wouldn't, just kept repeating he'd talk to head office.

Utterly humiliating, for starters, but also just so bloody unfair. Just because I'm in a wheelchair doesn't mean I have less right to buy myself lunch.

So congratulations Wasabi Holborn on discriminating against the disabled. And I hope this can serve as a PSA to other disabled MNers to avoid the place if they happen to be in that area in the future.

Complaints to a local authority building department will do nothing. They have no control over this. I suggest you contact a solicitors firm like Unity law who has supported many disabled people in taking companies to court for breaching the equality act. Google Unity Law and Pizza Express to see an example of a case they supported.

This template letter by Unity Law may also be helpful.

www.unity-law.co.uk/files/file/Disability%20Discrimination%20Letter%20of%20Complaint.docx

I don't work for unity law, by the way, I just happen to think they are awesome.

Totally not on, let a girl eat ffs!

And looking at the step, I would totally have given it a go with the confidence of someone who has not yet toppled backwards because the step is way to high for the kerb climber as a new wheelchair user that is a lesson to me!

I second Unity Law, I've worked with them on a couple of cases now.

Sadly, this is day-to-day life for a wheelchair user. People seem to think we have access now, but I beg to differ. I can't get in to a good 70-80% on the shops in my town centre. It's exhausting trying to navigate the lack of dropped kerbs, dickheads that park over the only one on the street, shops with steps, other shops that put displays in the way. It only takes a couple of shops before I have to go home shattered!

Well done Grumpy, totally unacceptable of them.

This is Thorntons all over again. 😡
I'm so sorry this happened.

I'm so fed up with it. Being left outside like a dog.

RoundAndAround I'm not much of a fan of FB shaming either. However, when I've had to sit outside in the chair, being very literally talked down to by a shop manager during a busy lunch hour in full view of God knows how many passers-by, and been made to feel like a second class citizen by virtue of my disability, I can't help but feel the company can handle a little embarrassment on social media. And if they can't, they should bloody well make sure they don't do anything that might be likely to put them in that situation.

Of course I'll try to contact their head office, but since they show no signs of engaging on social media, I have little hope of them bothering to respond to a private communication.

Margo and Glitter thanks for the recommendation of Unity Law. I shall have a look over the weekend. I don't feel they should get away with this.

To get them to reply just comment on every single one of their posts, something like:

''I am still waiting for you to contact me about your disabilist behavior in your Holborn branch in which I was denied access and service due to my use of a wheelchair. Please get back to me ASAP.''

If you want to add on about how that's illegal or how it made you feel that would be up to you. Once it appears on everything it puts the pressure on for them to reply. Do it for all previous posts and all upcoming posts.

nice one sunshine.

that is a really stupid shop design. good luck with getting a response.

Sorry to post again, have you tried tweeting them? They are a lot more active there and are answering tweets regularly.

@Wasabi_UK

Sunshine thanks. I hate Twitter as I'm not good at containing my ire to 140 characters, but I could always screenshot my FB post and tweet that

Good idea. Will give that a shot tomorrow.

Great :) This is will fit in and gets to the point...

@Wasbi_UK I would like you to get in touch with me in regards to your Holborn staff refusing to serve me due to my use of a wheelchair.

Can we do the same as we did with Thorntons? About 60 mumsnetters retweeted constantly until they answered.

Not that they ever did put a ramp in, just a bell 🔔.😡♿️

Please tell me one of the people witnessing offered to go in and make your order for you and didn't let you go hungry? I understand that would be embarrassing, and under no circumstances should you have to ask or be treated like this in today's day and age.
The absolute only reason i can think of that this -idiot- didn't take your order at the door is because he genuinely didn't know if he was allowed to, and was covering his own ass as far as keeping his job.

FFS, that is totally unacceptable.

And of course the manager could have used his common sense, exercised his discretion and gone and brought the bloody food to you!

I'm neither on Twitter or in the UK, but I hope this gets some traction.

You really are not equipped to manage anything, if you can't figure out that you won't get sacked for that.