Was I Unreasonable - wheelchair Space

[Nicetomeetyou25]

Hi, My DC ( 10 ) is a wheelchair user, we have to take public transport to school and honestly where we live is a nightmare. Some of the London buses still have a very small area where wheelchairs and pushchairs can go. I know else where there is no priority but on London buses it is stated very clearly wheelchairs are priority and pushchair need to be prepared to fold. School runs can be crazy because there tends to be a lot of pushchairs. I never ask a pushchair to get off and always wait for a bus that we can fit on. Every day a particular school mum beats me to the bus stop and she really does make sure she stands in the correct place to get on first and I usually allow this.

yesterday I could not be late home so I collected DC a tiny bit early and took them to the bus stop before the school bus stop. Got on bus and we arrived at the bus stop with usual pram getting on ( I should have added that she has a double stroller )

I had placed DC in the correct wheelchair position so sideways with back against the wall where stairs are as it is how the buses even say you have to.
she asks me to turn DC around so there was more space for her to get in side by side. I refused. She said she didn’t understand why I wouldn’t. I explained that I wasn’t willing to change position as it wasn’t safe.
She goes to bus driver and kicks off to advice him that there was enough space of I just turned the wheelchair around and placed it behind the pole.
she got off in a bit of a strop and called me selfish.
was I being unreasonable ?

DC gets lower rate mobility because according to the DWP they can walk a certain length
( has AFOs and Walker when not in chair but can only manage this for very short periods ) but we are in the process of a mandatory reconsideration. By the DC is a girl 🤣 I tried to change some facts as it was outing but think I screwed up somewhere !

She was very rude.
Yes, transporting two small children is tough. But it's temporary and she should have some empathy. Wheelchair users (generally) aren't in a temporary situation that will improve with time.
YWNBU at all, and the audacity of her to call you selfish!

And put the safety of her child at risk? Even with the breaks on. If the bus had jolted the child would likely be injured. Which is why they tell you to push wheelchair user against the headrest. It's health and safety bus drivers wouldn't argue against that.

In regards to the DLA mobility; your child needs to have had the mobility issue (ie the change to needing to use a wheelchair) for 3 months and for it to be expected to last at least 6 months. Based on what you have said youe child would not be eligible, just ensure you send evidence, eg a doctor's letter, to evidence it is likely to last at least the 6 months, or any medical letters you have.

And in regards to how far your daughter can walk it is without aids not with AFOs and a walker! So be clear what that distance is and challenge on them saying how far she can!

Hadn't seen your update on what the dla stated when I wrote the first post.

@Soggydog always had bad mobility issues ( afos / poor health so on assertion etc and was on LOW state
we did change of circumstances ( has been longer than 2 months but only receive wheelchair able to attend school with it 2 months ago )
was in a bed a while before that.

*received.

I think wirh DLA it’s been hard as it’s without being ridiculously outing a condition that is progressive so I feel like I’m always changing circumstances 🤦‍♀️ I think mainly what screws us uo was I sent EHCP which was done prior as it’s 9 months old and it states in it that DC required help to access PE but was able to participate - something that isn’t true now.

I would go to the bus stop before the bus stop you usually get on, so you are on the bus one stop before she gets on!

Buggy users don't even pay for the buggy on London buses so they have no right to ask anyone to move especially when paying passengers are in the space. Typically entitled.

Buggy users don't even pay for the buggy on London buses so they have no right to ask anyone to move especially when paying passengers are in the space. Typically entitled.

With DLA always keep going right through to tribunal if necessary.look up the criteria for walking as it is not just distance you are able to walk it's the distance in a reasonable time frame without pain and detriment to health if you were to repeat walking the short distance you can manage again. Keeping and submitting a diary can be part of your evidence and the bus issues as part of that diary would help the decision maker get a good picture of how the disability is affecting your child's functioning day to day. I have bus rage for you and would be that person who intervened to support you on the bus.

"I would go to the bus stop before the bus stop you usually get on, so you are on the bus one stop before she gets on!"

No, just No. Seriously, have a bit of empathy. Hello, wheelchair user. Get yourself 400m down the road, across those lights, so that you don't have to ask for what is your right to be able to use transport that you are paying for.

Think about it this way - you have modelled to your son that he has EVERY RIGHT TO EXIST AND TAKE UP SPACE! Every time you advocate for him you're showing him this.

I thought prams had to exit the bus if a wheelchair needed to get on. Is this not the case?

I always say step back wheelchairs first in a very loud voice shame them

This. She sounds like scum

Wheelchairs over buggies. She can wait for the next bus if needs be - it's London, the next one will be along in 5 minutes.

Maybe they are scared of being attacked

@MeridianB it should be the case but it isn’t unfortunately. Here bus drivers tend not to get involved if for instance a bus pulls up and the area d has pushchairs they often just say in full or shrug 🤷‍♀️.

No you were not unreasonable. In my view wheelchair users are a priority. I think some parents are entitled.

of course they don’t. Children under 11 are free? What are they supposed to do, leave their babies and toddlers at home? That’s really not the argument here, don’t be ridiculous. They should move for a wheelchair user absolutely but we also have the right to the space of not needed by the above, and sometimes that means asking grown adults to sit/stand elsewhere/go upstairs.

I reported my post by the way. What a fucking typo. I meant GROWN ADULTS 😭 MN you’re rubbish for not doing an editing button.

Email the LA’s Director of Children’s Services about transport. If they still refuse contact SENTAS for help with appealing.