wheelchair accessible taxis

Last week, two wheelchair taxis refused me as they said my wheelchair was too heavy for their ramps.
Firstly, they didn't ask me how heavy my wheelchair was! So how do they know it was too heavy?
Secondly, I said show me your ramps? But they wouldn't show me!

I was recording all this on my phone.

I had a meeting today at the council and they said no taxi should refuse a wheelchair without trying first so this is discrimination against disabled people so they are putting a case together and the video footage maybe use in court as evidence.

Have anyone else had problems with taxis?

Good on you Karl for recording it and taking it further, it seems there is a lot of disabled discrimination lately and some of it has become headline news. I'm glad the Council is looking in to it and it may go to court, so it should those taxi drivers should be ashamed of themselves!

I'm in a different country so it's not relevant here. In this Province, wee wouldn't call for a taxi but would call for a Handidart instead which is a short bus with hydraulic lifts to bring the wheelchairs into the bus and will deliver you to the address requested for a nominal fee. I've not used it because neither of us are that severely disabled but I see Hanydart buses coming into our little mobile home park and I've been told that it is a nominal fee to the passenger. We live just outside city limits and they serve her but I'm not sure how far that service extends into rural areas.

My son is somewhat disabled and lives in another park. He uses city buses to go downtown (down a long steep hill) and often drives his scooter onto a lift platform at the rear of the bus, then drives it off downtown to do his shopping. All city buses in the Province have this setup and it's really handy. He buys an annual bus pass that covers all his usage. Handydart and regular buses are run by the Province.

hmmm

I have to say this....I understand you were pissed off...but I think taxi drivers have the right to refuse access to their vehicles for whatever reason...

dont forget they did not charge you for the call out and it is their money they are not earning...if they thought it was 100 percent safe they would have driven you and taken and taken your money. It is in their best interests to do so...but obviously they were worried for whatever reason and miossed out on the money from your fare.

I think when using taxi cabs it is important to confirm with the drivers first as to whether they will take you....

We can so easily jump on the discrimination band wagon....

not everyone is going to ben over backwards for us...this is a given in todays society...but it does not mean that there is a case for discrimination...it just means we need to make our needs known and try to find an alternative way to get where we are going.

people have rights with or without disabilities...it is important to remember this..

I read recently how a disabled group is suing uber in chicago for not supplying whellchair accessible vehicles...while I understand the dilema....I also understand the way uber works....it is you and me people who enlist and drive our own vehicles to transport people from a to be....what this groups is actually suing is you and me people with our own cars.

the fact that there are few accessible vehicles with uber reflects the fact that there are few disabled people with their own cars working for uber....

doesnt this make sense to people....which brings us back to the reason these people in wheel chairs desire tfansport services...they dont have cars of their own ...far less are they willing to share their cars with uber clienst...

I sometimes feel people overstep their rights with out thinking .....

sorry I am not slapping you on the back karl but putting my opinion forward...

I have been in the same type of taxis loads of times. I am 100% safe in these taxis! They said my wheelchair was too heavy but how do they know it was too heavy as they didnt ask me the weight of the chair!

They didnt want to take me because it takes longer to put a wheelchair in the taxi. I didn't phone them up as I was in the taxi area waiting for them. They said no to me and took the able bodied users behind me.

So yes its 100% discrimination against disabled people!

I do understand some of Rhythms points. I use the same taxi firm over and over as they advertise that they have wheelchair accessible taxi's well it's more like a van. But others don't and it's best to ask on the phone before you book it if they have any wheelchair accessible taxi's.

I, too, let the taxi firms know that I may be using a rollator but taxis should have disabled access. The ones that you hail. I recently visited a solicitor whose secretary said they were disabled friendly. There were no ramps, the toilets could not be used by rollator and certainly not by a wheelchair and to add insult to injury he had booked me into an upstairs room and expected me to struggle up the stairs. I was made to feel a nuisance when I declined on health grounds. Needless to say I am making an official complaint. There are disability laws and if you state that you have disability access then you should. It is not a case of cherry picking and it wastes valuable time! I'm sick of the places who advertise that they are disabled friendly only to find narrow walkways and miniscule toilet access. We are disabled not contortionists!

There needs to be more understanding when it comes to access, I agree. There needs to be more truly accessible transport solutions....it is ridiculous that people need to sue or complain especially when it is said they are accessible.

I have heard stories in which buildings have been designed to be accessible...but once built the truth of the accessibility is a laugh. In one instance someone could not get their wheel chair into the elevator far less travel up it due to a design failure to give enough turning space.....

Locally in my own area I notice there is a new medical center that has been built in the past few years it has a ramp which is fine and really good accessibility....the wierd thing is that the stairs are angled instead of going straight up the sid...so when a man with partial vision tries to climb them he gets in deep trouble....thius is not a huge issue but it is horribly annoyiung and something people who design these buildings overlook...they have tactile stuff and rails but the stairs always get me....

This makes me wonder a little.....does anyone know if there is a review site out there for buildings access.....so that if individuals want to use a given taxi service or access a given building they can look them yo and find out what others say about ....

definately complain.... It is an issue ...firstly that people do not comprehend....our situation as persons with disability...few do...and secondly that the building did not have the appropriate accessibility for you....

toilets are a really important thing to get right ....it is embarrassing enough being disabled...

absolutely....I apologise for my hasty response...yes trues discrimination ...I do believe you have a good claim there...

there needs to be way more understanding....way more accessibility...things are changing....once people simply stayed at home....ahh I tend to because cabs are so expensive....it cost me about 180 dollats to get to town and home again and we waited two hours for the cab to come....I cant be bothered ...haha

but we as disabled people need to get out and be counted...it is important...

I believe all companies should be tested on whether they are suitable for disabled people, good access, disabled toilets,lifts ect. Like a health and safety certificate and if you fail you should be fined. It's the 20th Century for god sake!! All companies and social places should supply good disabled access if the disabled person can't get upstairs and there is no lift then the person should come to them by law and have offices put downstairs or a lift fitted. If not a on the spot fine and given a month to rectify the problem. That would give these companies a rocket up their arses to correct the problem. And if they are visited again and it's still not been done then they are given another fine but it's an increased fine and every month the problem isn't rectified an increased fine. That should frighten them enough to get there premises made disabled friendly!!

Rhythmsand wrote: toilets are a really important thing to get right ....it is embarrassing enough being disabled...

Why do you think its embarrassing being disabled?