Thread by @Fran_Face

I’ve just cried in front of my entire organisation (100+ people) because of disability discrimination by @NXTransportUK who refused me to board their coach in my powered wheelchair despite my work sending all the details of my wheelchair before agreeing on the booking.

I was told my wheelchair batteries needed to be removed/disengaged before I was able to board. My batteries are in a screwed compartment below my seat, there’s no way anyone could access them whilst I’m in my wheelchair and NHS instructs me to never let someone tamper with them.

This has never been requested in my 11 years as a powerchair user by any coach, rail or bus company. I asked the kind drivers to check this policy as I was certain it was wrong.
The operations manager said their MD confirmed I could board without my batteries disengaged.

Two full coaches of my colleagues were held up waiting for me, saw me on the ground crying from the humiliation, stress about how I’d get back to Newcastle and the feeling of being a second class citizen despite decades of disability rights campaigning for our right to transport.

Luckily workmates managed to get an accessible taxi for my hour long journey but over two hours later I’m still shaking. Despite being the only wheelchair user in my
organisation I spent last two days feeling equal to my colleagues so for it to end on this is heartbreaking.

Oh… also this is such a dangerous policy. If I wasn’t already aware by disengaging or removing my batteries my wheelchair would be either unstable or in freewheel/no breaks. I could have ended up with my wheelchair tipping over when the coach started moving.

Sorry, the third tweet should have said:

The operations manager said their MD confirmed I *could not* board without my batteries disengaged.