All Together NOW! editor Tom Dowling with his DaVinci wheelchair attachment
by TOM DOWLING
ATTITUDES MATTER … They can either make or break you.
And if you’re disadvantaged in any way, then the reactions of others can have a massive impact – good or otherwise …
Before discrimination laws started to creep in during the mid-90s, millions of us with disabilities had to rely on sheer goodwill to enable us to do the kind of everyday things that most take for granted.
Simple things like using public transport and getting on a bus. So much of the system was inaccessible.
Today, transport providers are making things much easier for everyone.
But, no matter how many billions are invested, it’s all got be backed up with ongoing staff training – and promoting good attitudes.
I’ve just returned from holidaying at South Newlands Farm, York, where after lots of detailed research about accessible accommodation and the excellent facilities and services in the city, we tried the wheelchair accessible Park & Ride service, operated by First Bus.
No problems on the journey into the city. Returning was a different matter.
Complying with First Bus rules, we unclipped the DaVinci lithium-powered wheel attachment to my chair and attempted to board.
The driver, however, intervened:
“You’re not bringing that on,” he said in front of the other dozen passengers, of which I was the youngest, aged 72.
“Company rules don’t allow electric bikes or lithium batteries. It’s a safety hazard – it could harm a child if it fell – and the battery could explode.”
When I explained the device was a vital part of my wheelchair and that it had not been an issue with his colleague on bus into York, he reluctantly agreed to let us bring it on board.
“But only this once!” he shouted.
The 10-minute journey seemed like an eternity. The driver’s outburst was humiliating, embarrassing – and legally wrong.
A quick internet search revealed that clip on attachments like mine were ok on all buses.
Disembarking, things deteriorated. While thanking him for getting the ramp out, I tried, quietly, to point out that he had been wrong about his company rules. I expected him to at least glance at my phone, which displayed what the rules about attachments like mine.
But my action lit a fuse, and he became angrier than ever, shouting in front of another group of awaiting passengers that he did not need to read the rules – “I know them! It is YOU who is wrong.”
I’ve since had a full apology from Frist Bus and assurances that refresher courses regarding wheelchairs and attachments is now a priority for all their drivers.
Megan Hope-Rushforth, Service Delivery Director, said: “The service you received fell below the high standards we expect and strive to deliver for all our customers.
“You were correct in highlighting that a power device attached to a wheelchair – such as a front wheel that converts it into a trike – is permitted on board our vehicles, provided it has been detached from the wheelchair before boarding.
“We will be providing refresher training to our driving team as a matter of priority to ensure the correct policy is fully understood and consistently applied.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport for City of York Council, added: “We welcome First’s apology and commitment to driver training.
“Fully accessible public transport is non-negotiable for us and is a key priority to ensure that residents and visitors have positive experiences travelling in York.
“We’ve been investing to make the start and finish of journeys better too, with accessible bus stop kerbs, improved seating and waiting areas at bus stops, plus audio announcements and electronic display real-time bus service information.”
Now that’s the kind of attitude I like …
