Excluded

As we wandered around, a very nice young lady asked if she could assist us.

I requested a brochure and inquired if the hotel had a disabled room. Yes, we do, she replied, would you like to look at it?

Firstly, I wished to know whether it had a shower. Yes, she replied. Can I take my wheelchair in?

Well, no, the shower is over the bath. I asked whether any of the rooms had a separate shower.

None - they were all over the bath, therefore useless to me and a very large proportion of disabled and elderly people.

Could the bed's height be adjusted? No, she replied, all are the same height.

I then asked if they had a disabled toilet as I had not seen any sign of one.

Very helpfully, she wheeled me across into the ladies' (there was no disabled sign on the door) and, inside, was a good-sized disabled toilet.

She left me while I made use of the facility, then came out into the ladies' and wheeled myself to the door.

It was badly placed round a small corner and had to be pulled inwards. This was impossible for me to reach but, luckily, someone soon came in, otherwise I would have been trapped in there.

We then wandered off to have a look at the coffee shop.

Steps going down. We looked around for the lift. This was so small we just managed to squeeze in. It arrived down in the kitchens, so back up we went.

Luckily, we saw a fellow who said we had been right and would meet us back down there and take us through to the coffee shop.

When we arrived, thank goodness it was virtually empty - all the tables and chairs had to be moved so we could make our way through and out the rear.

The point I am trying to make is that now, when a new building is built, it has to be "disabled friendly".

I am certain this is not the fault of the hotel but of the planners.

When will planners start consulting disabled people about our requirements? We should, surely, be able to participate and get out and about as easily as the able-bodied.

-Mrs Ann Agnew, Hove