POV: you’re a wheelchair user and the staff haven’t turned up with a ramp, so you’re trapped on an empty train.

The emergency alarm is out of my reach so I have to rely on my shouting skills.

How would you feel if there was a risk of this happening every time you use the train? We could do so much better.

Raised platforms would allow me to get on and off the train independently and remove the stress of no-show ramps.

At the very least, there should be an alarm that is reachable for wheelchair users to alert the driver that I’m trapped.

barbie’s wheelchair vs my actual wheelchair: a critical comparison

aka the best twitter thread i will ever post

strap in

#Barbie

barbie uses a self-propelled manual wheelchair. it’s made of lightweight materials (plastic) making it easy to push, but not particularly durable.

even the cushion is made of (textured!) plastic, offering neither support nor comfort - and will likely result in pressure sores 😬

I’ve returned from my trip to Amsterdam! It was lovely.

As a wheelchair user, I found it much more challenging than I had anticipated.

My thoughts on transport and street accessibility…🧵 Let’s start with the positives. METRO 🚇

All stations on the metro are wheelchair accessible with lifts, and level boarding.
Tactile signage throughout stations and along platforms.
Wheelchair space clearly marked on carriage doors.
Next station indicated with flashing lights. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

I’m currently in Amsterdam.

Tonight I witnessed an instance of disability discrimination. A tram conductor refused to let a disabled man using a small mobility scooter board.

It was horrible - and has left me with some questions…🧵 What happened:

I was already on the tram in the wheelchair space. But Amsterdam trams have two spaces - one with a wheelchair symbol and another with a pram symbol.

When the man tried to board, the conductor initially refused saying there was already a wheelchair on board (me).

THREAD: I’m a wheelchair user, and I can’t travel by train on Sundays (it seems).

Context: I’m trying to get to London from a small oxfordshire station. I’ve booked assistance using @PassAssistance, but it is ‘unconfirmed’.

I’ve arrived at the station, and there are no staff… The assistance desk is closed and there are no staff at the station at all (not a soul!) meaning there is no one to *unlock* the ramp and allow me to board the train.

If I was on my own, I would be totally stranded.

Fun fact about me: I use a ‘teenagers’ wheelchair. It’s tiny. 23inches wide.

If I’m struggling to get through these “gaps”, they are completely impassable for most wheelchair users and visually impaired people with dogs.

Pavements must be kept clear enough for pedestrians. I’ve found some pavements entirely blocked by seating, where I could not get past at all.

🧵THREAD: I can’t believe I have to explain to y’all why asking disabled people to wait outside and be bought out a coffee - instead of making businesses accessible to all - is unacceptable, but here we are.

(OP name redacted because I don’t agree with Twitter pile-ons) I’m a wheelchair user (shocking, I know, I NEVER talk about it) which means 80% of shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars, theatres, etc are inaccessible to me. (this is a made up percentage, I don’t know the actual figure - does anyone? it’s a lot).

After being interviewed about inaccessible transport, I tried to get a train home and this is what I encounter:

@chilternrailway tried to refuse me access, told me they couldn’t allow me on the train due to health and safety, that there was no ramp, no space. This was all false. It took me arguing with 3 different people over a 20 minute period to be allowed onto the train. They were dismissive, rude, utterly devoid of compassion and treated me with contempt (and lied to my face).

Ever wondered what it feels like to be trapped on a train, unable to get off? Here is a video from my Point Of View, as it happened to me *again* just now.

This is why I fight for level boarding. I can’t rely on staff to meet me with a ramp. Because they don’t. In this instance the train terminated so, though frustrating and disruptive, I could wait.

But do you know how nerve-wracking it is when passing a station and the ramp doesn’t show up - meaning you could end up missing your stop?

I’m watching my train leave in 5 mins and I’m not on it because I apparently didn’t arrive early enough for staff to get the ramp.

I’m late because the bus I was on let everyone (20+ people -full bus) off before deploying the ramp for me.

Everyone on that bus made their train. The hold ups and delays I experience due to the inaccessible/unequal transport system have a knock-on effect, and very quickly accumulate.

I now have to wait over half an hour for the next train. It’s not much, but it adds up.