We need to ramp up our campaign for access

RECENTLY on a trip to the beach I realised why I never, ever go to the beach.

1. The sand sticks to you, and, 2. My wheelchair won’t travel in the sand.

You’re probably reading that sentence going, “Is she having a laugh, a wheelchair accessible beach?” but yes, it is possible.

In my favourite country, Sweden, there is a wheelchair accessible beach. It’s grass you lie on instead. To make sure disabled people get the full experience there is a pier, and attached to that pier is an elevator that lifts a wheelchair user up and down into the sea.

It’s not just Sweden that have wheelchair accessible beaches, Wales is quite a spot for the disabled.

To be honest, it’s not just beaches, now that I’m 17, I’m already planning my celebrations for my 18th and to be honest, it’s kind of hard to make sure the nightclub is wheelchair accessible.

Recently, at one of my best friend’s 18th she had to break the awkward news I couldn’t continue the party as the next venue wasn’t wheelchair accessible. I suggested I could go in a side door and she awkwardly responded, “There are probably more steps there.”

Personally, for me, if I was ever designing a nightclub I would probably not have steps leading in and out of the place because I’d be petrified some idiotic drunk would fall and sue me, am I right?

Yes maybe as a wheelchair user, I’d hate to be separated just to use an elevator, but I would much rather that instead of actually having to tell my friends: “Well I can’t go there, it is all steps.”

What further presses my buttons is the lack of wheelchair accessible taxis. It’s easy for an able bodied person to hop in to a taxi but I have to wait until a wheelchair accessible one becomes available.

It’s going to be a lot harder for me to zoom around going into clubs, going into chippers, going wherever, just trying to find some wheelchair access.

I’m telling all the owners of these places, for the sake of my tired and weary heart when you’re opening up a new place, just think of poor old me, trying to whizz in and out of your place if you have a 6 inch step at the door.

I need the disabled people to come together and help me ramp at least three quarters of the public places.

All I want, when I’m 18 is to be able to go to different venues and enjoy myself and not worry about steps, flipping over the step and trying to get home without having to disturb my now OAP [in my mind] parents.