Theme park asks Leicester teenager to prove disability

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Theme park asks Leicester teenager to prove disability

A teenage wheelchair-user was left angry and upset after staff at a theme park asked him to prove he was disabled.

Mohamad Hussain, 16, was challenged by staff at Alton Towers' guest care centre when he asked for a special wristband which would enable him to jump queues for the Staffordshire attraction's rides.

Mohamad has muscle-wasting Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

He is unable to stand or perform tasks such as dressing or feeding himself.

His mum, Jamila, eventually managed to convince staff her son qualified for disabled access.But the teenager then discovered that the extent of his disability meant there were few attractions he could access anyway.

Mohamad, from Highfields, Leicester, said he "could not believe it" when staff challenged him to prove he was disabled.

He said: "It made me feel very bad. We were asking for wristbands which they give out to people with difficulties so they don't have to queue for a long time."

He added: "I went to Disney World not long ago and it was amazing. We were treated really well.

"I think some theme parks are behind the times when it comes to caring for the disabled."

Mum Jamila, 43, said: "I didn't know what to say when the young man asked me to prove that Mohamad was disabled. He was in a wheelchair in front of him.

"Maybe if Mohamad wasn't in a wheelchair then I could understand. But I don't usually carry a doctor's letter because no one has ever asked him to prove it before."

Jamila said that despite having the wristband, her son was unable to enjoy many of the attractions because access required more mobility than Mohamad was capable of.

She said: "After going to all the trouble of getting the wristbands we couldn't get on any of the rides anyway.

"They said there was disabled access to all the amusements but he wasn't able to go on a single ride.

"We spent the day walking around looking at the rides and shops and then went home.

"It's really disappointing and more should be done to accommodate people with disabilities, especially at big theme parks like Alton Towers."

A spokeswoman for Alton Towers said: "We offer various attractions, for example our sea life aquarium Sharkbait Reef, a variety of animals to meet and greet in Old McDonald's Farmyard and numerous shows, which means guests have other options than just rides.

"In terms of us requesting proof of disability, this is company policy and for auditing purposes.

"In some circumstances we do not require proof of disability, however we need evidence of why a wristband has been authorised."

Good verdict in disability survey

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Good verdict in disability survey

An undercover survey has found Leicestershire is better than average when it comes to providing disabled students with the things they need to get the most out of university life.

Campaigners from Trailblazers carried out investigations at 77 UK universities to find out whether halls of residence, lecture theatres and bars had disabled access.

They also wanted to know whether the universities had societies for disabled students, disability guides and accessible transport.

The universities were contacted anonymously and asked 15 questions about what they provide for disabled students and then given a percentage score.

The average was 73%, but De Montfort University scored 88%, and the University of Leicester and Loughborough University both scored 83%.

The survey was carried out because Trailblazers, part of the Muscular Dystrophy Society, is concerned many disabled people are missing out on the best university experience – or even being put off going – because of a lack of the things they need when they are there.

Nick Willis, of East Midlands Trailblazers, said that while the Leicestershire scores were higher than average, changes still needed to be made.

He said: "Some universities fell well short of having the right facilities for disabled people but the Leicestershire ones were quite good.

"There is, however, room for improvement and hopefully our report will lead to that."

The investigation found none of the three Leicestershire universities have an accessible toilet with a hoist in every one of their buildings.

The University of Leicester was found to have no group or society for disabled students and its website was given nought out of five because it lacked information on disability access, while not all of Loughborough's teaching rooms had disabled access.

Mr Willis, 25, a graduate who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, said: "Although the facilities at universities may be good, sometimes the social side lags behind. It's a culture thing that needs to change."

University of Leicester spokesman Peter Thorley said: "We were pleased to see the University of Leicester rated well, but we're not complacent."

A spokeswoman for De Montfort University said: "De Montfort University is leading the way in the region and we are proud of the work we do."