Shopping with DS wheelchair…just sounding off as I am fed up today

[Livingtothefull]

1. I went to the supermarket in the big town near us last week with DS (16) who is in a wheelchair….went to look for a wheelchair trolley, found just one which was broken.

Waited at customer service desk while they checked if there was another one available. Waited for a long time….DS got agitated with the waiting (he has learning difficulties). Eventually they confirmed there was no other wheelchair trolley in the store, despite it being a large branch of a big, household-name supermarket.

Without a wheelchair trolley I can't do my shopping as I can't push a normal trolley or carry a basket and manoeuvre the wheelchair at the same time. So in the end they had to send a member of staff with me to assist me.

1. Went shopping again with DS today in another branch of the same supermarket. Again just one wheelchair trolley which was broken so same thing again.

I don't think it's too much to ask that I can just come to the supermarket, get a trolley and do my shopping like everyone else, without having to wait around for a solution because the one suitable trolley is missing or out of action.

DS likes travelling on the bus (there are limited things in life for him to enjoy but he does enjoy bus journeys) so I agreed to get the bus home with him. The bus turned up but the driver didn't open the side doors or drop the ramp down for us. So I went to speak to him while the other passengers were getting on:

Me: 'Could you let us on the bus at the side doors please?'
Driver: 'Sorry no there's no space for you'.
Me: 'There's lots of space, we need the wheelchair space.'
Driver: 'There's a buggy on board'.
Me: 'But that's a wheelchair space, wheelchairs have priority'.
Driver: 'No the buggy got on before you and she already paid for her ticket, and that's that.'

and drove off. He didn't even ask the people with the buggy to make space btw.

I had to wait for the next bus to come, this had a much larger buggy on board but the driver let me on and the mother with the buggy happily made space…no need for her to get off the bus.

What upsets me about this is: the odds are that most busy buses will have at least one buggy so if every bus driver took the same attitude as the first one, DS & I could easily be there all night. Also DS may have a meltdown if he is forced to wait to long and believe me his meltdowns aren't pretty (have posted previously about these).

I am having a rant and I know all this sounds really negative but please try to put yourselves in my shoes?

What people often fail to understand is that if you are a wheelchair user there are usually no choices. You have to use the only provision there is.

We had to travel for nearly 2 hours in a dark, unheated train carriage last week because the lights had failed in the only carriage with a wheelchair space. Everyone else in the carriage could and did move (the train wasn't very busy) but with dd's wheelchair there was just nowhere else to go.

Realistically I couldn't hold a newborn and fold the pram and if I had to use a sling as well it would've taken a good 5 minutes. I also couldn't use the sling for long due to sciatica.

But I always moved/ got off straight away if there's a wheelchair, even when the person in the wheelchair offered to wait, I still got off.

But, there's a lot more prams than wheelchairs so they should be made to fold/ get off if needed.

But what's needed the most is a change in attitude. It's common sense that a person in a wheelchair will have a greater need and that it's better for everyone if you try and help out if possible.

www.pressreader.com/

let's now hear some olympians without disabilities speaking out on this. Whenever I've had support from 'non-disabled' people, I can't tell you how much this has meant. It gets very lonely and disheartening when you battle on your own. There's been some nice examples on this s thread of people who have been supportive - if we all spoke up, maybe someone might listen.(DH is going to check the wheelchair trollies when he goes to WR this morning.)

Sorry - link hadn't worked - will try another one - it's a follow up to the case if the disabled woman who had to urinate on herself in a train

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/03/transport-providers-come-under-pressure-improve-disabled-access-anne-wafula-strike-ade-adepitan?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

I suppose the alternative was not to send the train out at all and cancel it rather than have a non-working toilet.

That would annoy even more people. An announcement that the disabled toilet wasn't working at every station along the way would allow people to make a decision about whether or not to risk it.

If it breaks down while in transit I'm not sure what can be done, other than warn people so they can get off.

I have a dodgy bladder and I'd hesitate to get on a train with no working toilet.

Good idea about cancelling it - all the complaints might make it less likely next time that the toilet would not be working. Or send the train out but close off all toilets and explain that's equality. Or just send it out and cross your fingers that no one affected will be able to get any press coverage - or invest in your rolling stock;have emergency workers on call to repair it; when you know it's not working, find out which stations along the line have an accessible toilet and arrange to stop there. Yes there would be a slight delay- so what? This country should just get its act together and stop telling people with disabilities, to just suck it up.Asking nicely doesn't cut it.

Another idea, fine the train company a massive amount each time this happens and name and shame at same time. Usually it's only money and it's loss that is taken seriously

Or send the train out but close off all toilets and explain that's equality.
No, that's stupidity.

Stopping at stations along the way is the best idea but an announcement should be made at every station.

If the toilet (disable or not) breaks down while the train is in transit it's unreasonable to expect it to be fixed straight away. But passengers need to be warned.

What a prick the first bus driver was. Shame you didn't get a photo of the number plate to complain to the bus company.

January - SOH bypass much

You hadn't shown any evidence of a SOH in your previous posts. How was I to know you'd suddenly acquired one?

I really feel for you on this

I've just had a scoot through the Disabled Access Regulations and regardless of the Bus Company policy, the DDA regulations take precedence.

The Citizens Advice say: Wheelchair users should be given priority over pushchair users. If there is a pushchair in the wheelchair space, when you try to board the bus, the driver should ask the pushchair user to move. However if the pushchair user refuses to move the driver can not force them to do so.

Your bus driver sounds particularly toxic and ignorant. I understand you're exhausted by the daily grind of life but PLEASE complain and report him.

Maybe that's because none of this is a laughing matter but when people just suggest sucking it up and not being able to travel, it does bring out the little evil in me - I suppose it was more a reductio ad absurdum yo make the point. Sorry you didn't get it - will try harder in future. Suppose I should use those emoticons more

That was to January

I don't use trains so I don't really know, but is there only one disabled toilet? If so, having at least 2 would make it unlikely they both stop working at the same time.

cheshire there is usually only one wheelchair space on a train (sometimes two but in the same carriage) with an accessible toilet adjacent. More of both would be great but it seems unlikely to happen. The guard on the train I mentioned above said that the company were planning new carriages but they would actually only have one wheelchair space instead of two.