local shop still not got ramp in place.

[misdee]

just popped down the local newsagent. bit peed to see they still havent got a ramp in place to get into the shop. The shop is very local to the dosabled/elderly properties where we live, and what with the disability act which came into effect on the 1/10/04 i'm sure they are breaking rules somewhere. they say they should have one soon. but they have known about the Act for ages.

The new law does not apply to everyone. A shop near me has about 10 steps up to main area and I asked them if they had to change it. Apparently not because the building is too old to make the changes.

Didn't they have anotice in the window about it ??

I noticed a few shops without ramps around here too but they all had notices saying that they would give assistance to anyone who needed to use the shop.

no notice. it has one step, but is a steep one, plus the door is heavey. i cant get in there with a buggy let alone a wheelchair. i know my neighbours have spoken to them about it, but the bloke who owns the shop was very rude about it. Apparently it has been measured for a ramp, but they just havent fitted it yet. The act has been coming in for years so they have had plenty of warning. They are actually losing custom as its not accessable to most of the residents here. I normanally use the smaller shop at the other end of the parade, as its easier to access, but i had to get padded envolopes today so had to use the newsagents.

It made me laugh the other day (had to laugh it's just so pathetic really!) Visiting a large DIY store with dh,ds and dd in her buggy we asked where the new lifts were. A tiny little lift was tucked away round the corner with a door that needed to be pulled open to get in. Not being ungrateful or anything but even so it had obviously cost a fair amount to install.
Only thing was,directly in front of it they had put a display stand of houseplants!!
It was difficult enough to manoeuvre the buggy round pull the door open and squeeze round into the tiny little lift, how on earth someone in a wheelchair could have managed I'll never know!
Ungrateful cow aren't I!