Why my upset at Standards of Disabled Facilities started.
In 1994 my soon to be husband an I spent a whole afternoon booking our honeymoon. This may seem excessive to some but I have Multiple Sclerosis and have used a wheelchair, to varing degrees since 1993. We wanted to go to Luxor. One hotel was being suggested to us, we even spoke to another member of staff who had been to said hotel, she said it was definitely suitable and we would enjoy it. So we booked a ground floor room with a double bed.
So we arrive in Luxor and get dropped off by the bus. Only to face a 500m walk up a sandy track with every shop keeper trying to get us in their shops. Plus we had luggage and a manual wheelchair to push. On arrival at the hotel reception there were 5 steps up to it, I decided I didn’t need to go in. On past the dining room again 5 steps. My diet starting sooner than I thought. Then around to the bedroom, you guessed 5 steps, they were very narrow so impossible with a chair, luckily I managed to get up the steps with help. In the room 2 single beds, so we phoned reception, someobe came and pushed them together, double bed seemingly. We tried to enjoy ourselves, but the stress built up so we asked if there was anywhere we could go and get in using a wheelchair. There are 2 places, Novatel, you would have to use the back entrance though. Oh in and out with the rubbish I say. It’s not like that I get told. I then asked if she had had to do it, no, then don’t talk about what you don’t know about. Then we were told aboyt the Hilton, it would be another £200 for the rest of holiday. We said yes straight away and promptly moved.
The Hilton was wonderful lifts I could get into only a couple of steps into one restaurant in the grounds. Unfortunately though buy now the damage had been done, my M.S. started to play up so I needed to see a Dr.
I those days not many people anywhere south of UK knew much about M.S. so he decided to send me home. Then i had to deal with the insurance company, who wanted me to phone my GP and tell him it was OK to talk about my medical condition. When I explained that I was in bed in a hotel from where the free call to them had cost me £16.00. I said that I thought he knew me well enough to be able to tell them what they needed. I was then sent home after only 1 week of my honeymoon, and straight into hospital for steroids.
A couple of years later we had a week in a timeshare complex. We even bought as we felt at least that way we knew what standard of accommodation to expect. Then as the years progressed and I needed to be in a wheelchair more and more, I became more and more frustrated with not being able to be my usual spontaneous self and just go somewhere, as there was no guarantee that I would be able to get in when there. Most of the time I would just accept and get on with things, but over the last few years it has really got to me, now I’m really pi**ed off.
We decided to go to Spain on holiday using the ferry instead of flying. So I booked accommodation through Booking.com. All places were listed as having disabled facilities, this might mean they have a lift, not one you can get a wheelchair in or find until you have struggled up and down the stairs, as happened this year.
Or like in my town where they have an action group which have given various places approval as having disabled facilities, only again there is no way you can get into these places in a wheelchair. When I went to one of their meetings the fault was mine as my electric wheelchair was so big!! They were so defensive then told me that they were going to reassess the places. I was asked to help, I’m still waiting for them to get in touch. I was told by a disabled rights group that if I was having trouble with accessibility to write to every business stating the problems. I live in a small town and felt that all this would achieve would be to make me very unpopular.
We then were asked to go to a holiday presentation (timeshare). We would get 3 nights away so thought why not. I phoned to check that we would have room to park our large van. I was told that this would be no problem, I also told them that I am in a wheelchair. We get there only to find that there were 7-8 steps up to the hotel, very beautiful marble, but still steps. We were told that there was a way in and someone can to show us. My husband went to look and disputed that you would do it in a wheelchair. We’ve had big wheelchair in this way before he was told. So we get me in chair out of the van and I attempt to get in. It was impossible, even in a manual chair my husband would have to have been manhandling me around as there were 2 90 degree turns to go back on yourself. The duty manager was talking about a ramp for the stairs, our presentation was in 20 mins and at most would last an hour, some handyman doing that. He wasn’t impressed when I told him he would lose 2 parking spaces because otherwise the ramp would be to steep. I then asked if I would be able to get around inside and fit in the lift. Oh there is a step and not sure about the lift. So they found us another hotel only this one’s disabled room only had a bath. Strange but I don’t do baths, could this be because my legs don’t work to well. I am also doublely incontinent, but though we’ll manage. Next hotel at least had ramps, I didnt go in as we now were pressed for time and if we were late for the presentation we would lose our deposit. Got to the presentation and were greeted by someone hanging over the stairs, meet you on the second floor, we were told. Problem wheelchair didn’t fit in the lift. I was then made to feel like I was doing all of this just to be awkward and that I go around in an £7000.00 wheelchair just to be awkward. Things went from bad to worse until I was adked if I was that disabled how did I get in a car. I don’t we have a big van with a lift and I travel in my wheelchair. I wad so annoyed and upset.
We thought we might as well make use of the hotell and stay for a break. Only I couldn’t get into any of the rooms in the hotel. I also couldn’t get into the disabled toilet, managed up the ramp fine just couldn’t get in the door. I spent ages crying on the way home.
Then had to go to see Neurologist and had difficulty getting into the disabled toilet, in my manual chair this time. Next time I was at same hospital asked consultant if there was a toilet that i could get into. He had no idea. Then at another hospital in area went to use disabled toilet, which I’d managed in in the past, only to find that now it’s also used for baby changing, so had another large bin in it. Therefore I could get chair but would have to carefully reverse out, in but no room for me to be manovered out of chair onto toilet.
The timeshare accommodation fell down this year to. We went to Spain for a 3 week break, had to drive down through France and Spain. Staying in hotels with disabled facilities, supposedly. Get to the timeshare resort only to find they don’t have a disabled apartment. I had checked twice as I hadn’t seen anything about a disabled apartment. We then had to find alternative accommodation.
It might be me but I am finding all of this so stressful and very upseting. My husband doesn’t seem to understand but he can just walk into a toilet when he needs to go.
Please sign my petitionhttps://www.change.org/p/david-cameron-mp-bring-in-standards-for-disabled-facilities?recruiter=80644317&utm_campaign=twitter_link&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition
My Way just call me Frank 