It would be nice if someone noticed us

Being a partial wheelchair user who uses walking aids I often feel as if I'm "sitting on the fence".  I am unable to go along with the normal crowd because I have limitations and because I choose not to use a wheelchair I don't fit with that crowd either and I am so frustrated that hardly anyone considers people like myself.  It is as if we are the forgotten ones.

I have been doing research into hotel accessibility and it looks as if I am going to find the same problems with cruise ships.  Far too often the walking disabled are ignored or simply forgotten when it comes to designing accommodation or making arrangements.  

One recent example of this was on 10th March I received from shore mobility a list of wheelchair accessible tours for my cruise in June to the Baltic.  Also included was information relating to the transport they would be using for these tours and it was made clear that they are adapted minivans that can take three wheelchairs and three companions. Not once did the information mention passengers that may be disabled but not wheelchair users.  

The main problem for myself and other disabled passengers is the boarding of a normal coach; I for one do not have the strength to pull myself up due to perminent rotator cuff damage and co-ordination problems caused by CP (Cerebral Palsy).  Many of the normal tours are guided and it would be impossible for me to keep up with their pace.  I fear that at ports they will not have arranged accessible shuttles and this will not known in advance of the day.  I find it hard to believe that places such as Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Norway do not have adapted vehicles other than these minivans.  Last year when we were in port in Funchal, Madeira P&O had arranged for a couple of accessible shuttles which were the size of a hopper bus and it took both wheelchairs and walking disabled people.  

So often I had found that people like myself are misunderstood by the general public especially when using disabled facilities.  You noticed that I chose my words carefully because I have been challenged when using these facilities because I am using a walker and not in a wheelchair. Often the universal symbol which depicts a person seated in a wheelchair is taken literally by many people.  On occasion when I have used these facilities I have been challenged so where possible I try and find one that is RADAR key only facility.  
Most of the time we don't require the space that a wheelchair needs to manoeuvre around a room, so a normal size bedroom is usually adequate but what we may need often is an adapted bathroom or wetroom.  Because of these requirements I have to book a wheelchair accessible room or cabin.  It is a shame that no one has had the insight to design a room with adapted bathroom for those of us who are disabled but not full-time wheelchair users.  
Once someone told me that there was a hierarchy in the deaf community and at the time I actually thought there was not a hierarchy in the disabled community but now I am not so sure.  Have I changed my mind?  I am beginning to think I am.  When I use my wheelchair I get much more respect from other wheelchair users but if I am using my walker it is a whole different ball game.  I can be waiting for an elevator and someone who is in a wheelchair turns up and when the elevator arrives the person in the chair often pushes me to one side. It is not only rude it is disgusting to treat a fellow human that way; scooter users are often no better.  
I would like for once for someone to take notice of people with disabilities and understand that there are all different levels and many ways a disability can effect someone.  We are not all the same but we all know how life can be challenging and we should all be able to understand and support each other.

Have things improved for disabled people?

Someone asked me the other day "Do you think that things have improved for the better for disabled people?" and even though I try to promote equality I had to think about it.  I think you could ask a hundred disabled people and you would get a different answer every time, I think it depends on a persons circumstances.  

I know in recent years people with disabilities have become the targets and victims of physical and verbal attacks in public and I consider myself very fortunate that I have never been a victim of such behaviour.
My parents removed me from Charlton Park school at the age of nine and from that day I never looked back.  My parents were never overprotective and they encouraged and taught me that I could be anything in life I wanted to be.  Because of my parents I have lived an active and fulfilling life and I have done so many things that others dream of.  I have met some amazing disabled people along the way who have succeeded against the odds.  While others I knew from my childhood who I have caught up with in recent years through social media have just stagnated.
If you want change (equality) to happen you have to want to do something about it.  Too many people just sit back on their laurels and watch others do the hard work to try and make change happen and that makes me fed up to the back teeth that it is always the same few.  It annoys me when I hear someone moaning about lack of accessibility and then does nothing about it.
It is only in the last year or two that I have found a passion for disability awareness and equality because of increasing frustration at the shoddy way people with disabilities are treated by society and I want make a difference; no matter how small my contribution.  For a long time I never gave accessibility a second thought but as I have deteriorated it has become more prevalent to do so.
Having spent a considerable number of nights in both standard and accessible hotel guestrooms over the last two years I discovered they are not always equal in facilities but I was expected to pay the same rate.  Typically you will find that a sofa, comfy chairs and coffee table are often removed from the accessible guestroom; giving an illusion of space.  Hotel chain Premier Inn state on their websites that their older hotels sometimes have smaller rooms it has been necessary to replace a king size bed for a double, I find this unacceptable and again you would be expected to pay the same room rate.
At many hotels a discerning disabled guest is not offered a choice of guestroom grades; accessible guestrooms more often than not are standard.  As a rule disabled guests are unable to stay in executive rooms or suites that give them extra facilities, comfort and access to private facilities that are reserved for the higher grade rooms. So where is the equality there?
My own research shows there is a lack of accessible guestrooms especially somewhere like London were hotels have between 0.60% and 3% of their guest accommodation is accessible.  The Building Regulations state it should be 5%.  One hotel the Crowne

Crowne Plaza Birmingham NE

Plaza Birmingham NEC have the correct number of accessible rooms but offer only bathtub facilities which is no use to someone like myself who needs a wet room.  When I recently enquired if they had any guest accommodation with a shower cubicle they informed me they hadn't and they considered a reasonable adjustment to be for a disabled guest to use their on site gym facilities where there was an accessible shower facilities.  The Building Regulations state that disabled guests should be given the choice of bathroom with a bathtub or wet room facility.  This hotel had 12 accessible rooms most hotels offer just a couple if your lucky, but again I have been denied this as a hotel to use because they do not have wet rooms. 
Am I equal to my friends I would honestly say that I do not feel equal.  It seems that when I am with other people I get ignored as if I have been taken along for the ride.  The thing that annoys me the most is people see my disability suddenly slow their speech as if I will understand them better.  I don't why they do it but I have seen it happen it and experienced it all my life.  A couple of weeks ago I went into a branch of WH Smith and the first floor was not accessible and spoke to a female assistant who said that she would get anything I wanted.  I was just so annoyed that I felt like giving her a list of 50 items!  This happens all the time places are not accessible and these businesses do not realise what disabled people can bring to their businesses.  
Being disabled means a part of us does not work properly so some of us use wheelchairs while others use sticks or crutches but it does not stop us having a voice.  My answer is yes things have improved in parts but there is still a long way to go.

Latest Update from P&O

As you already know I have had a very challenging time of late with P&O.  I have been trying for three months to get some answers to questions that I had put to their customer service after returning from my cruise in May.  After three months and going nowhere and going through two Customer Service Executives, one Head of Marketing, one Disability Adviser and one Customer Services Manager I believe I have answers to most of my queries.

Last week I received a call to discuss for the umpteen time my comments and suggestions that I had sent in May and to say that I was extremely disappointed is an understatement to say the least.

The Retreat on Azura

Information Sheet 
I have been campaigning for an information sheet on each P&O ship to give to passengers that have registered a disability.  Information that I suggested should be included is the location of platform lifts (Azura & Ventura) and lifts on their other ships for use by disabled passengers, facilities and accessibility information could also be included.

I have been informed that P&O have no plans to create an information sheet for passengers now or in the future because they have invested millions into their on line help service and website.  I have voiced my own opinions on this as they have just assumed that all passengers have access to a computer.  I was told that a large number of passengers book their cruises through travel agents.  This being said I cannot understand their reasoning behind their decision.  For those passengers an on line help facility would not be of use so sending a hard copy to those passengers would be helpful.

It was also assumed by the manager that I was talking to that disabled lift location information was included in the ships cabin directory, I informed her that it was not the case.

"Full Time Wheelchair Users"
I had also noticed the wording "full time wheelchair users" being used when using certain facilities on board ships.  I pointed out that this discriminates between passengers who are part time wheelchair users and full time wheelchair users.  I explained that many part time users often have a disability or condition that may vary from day to day and therefore may require the use of a chair at anytime and stating that only "full time" users may use the spaces in the teatre is discriminating.  The Manager tried to tell me that it was done to deter mobility scooter users from using these spaces.  I pointed out that most venues have a policy where disabled spaces are for the use of wheelchair users and walking disabled only and clearly states no scooters.  She had no answer.

Front Line Disability Team
This team was disbanded when the company was restructured.  I was told that the company has invested in customer and online services which they are confident can answer any questions that may arise and have no plans to have a front line team.  Again, I do not know how they can say that when you are put on hold for some considerable time and only be told that they don't know the answer, no surprise there!

Our last cruise was booked through a cruise agent who passed everything on to P&O, which is normal.  A couple of days later I called P&O's customer service to request a disability questionnaire only to be told that I would have to go back to my cruise agent and ask them to request it my behalf and then P&O would sent it to my agent who would eventually pass it onto me.  Tell me how is that more effiicent?

The Cookery Club 
What can I say it took over 9 weeks and several people later who informed that The Cookery Club does have a lowered workspace.  My initial contact and equiry to P&O was based on computer images and information supplied to my cruise agent and myself over the phone and in personal by P&O staff.  At that time I believed it to be true.

During the last 14 weeks I have been in contact with a total of 5 people from P&O and my impression is that none of them had any idea of where to go to answer any questions I had and so when the customer services manager told me that given time they can answer any queries; I laughed.  What has annoyed me most is the promises that were made that I now know were a pack of lies.  Why lie to me?

I find it hard to believe that they feel producing fact sheets to send to passengers time comsuming.  It was made obvious to me that the disability adviser would rather not have direct contact with passengers and it seems to spend their time in the legal side, I doubt they even know what the Equality Act 2010 is about.  But I now have there email so if anyone has any questions or queries I will be more than happy to contact the adviser.

Two Months, 4 people and I am still getting fobbed off by P&O

CGI of The Cookery Club

Over two months ago I wrote to P&O's Customer Service with several comments and issues that I experienced whilst on board Britannia.  One of items I mentioned was The Cookery Club which I believed was not accessible according to this image which was released by P&O.  My agent had been invited to spend two nights on board prior to the maiden voyage and whilst on board made a point to find out if the club was accessible and on her return she reported that all the workstations were the same height.  Based on the images available and information at hand I decided not to book a class.  Other items that I mentioned included accommodation floors, gangways, lack of and incorrect information.

Once P&O's Customer Service has received a letter or email a case is raised and is given to a Customer Service Executive.  They have 28 days to reply to your communication and in my case the first person contacted me on day 27.  The person who I spoke to was very polite and during our call offered a lot which I had asked to be confirmed in writing.  An email did arrive all be it after several days but did not confirm everything we discussed but did include things that we didn't discuss.  So I sent an email back asking for certain things to be confirm; and I waited and waited!  A week passed and I heard nothing from this chap and found it hard to know where to go to next and decided to follow my own advice, which is to go to the top of the tree.

After a bit of a search I was given the email of Christopher Edgington, Director P&O Cruises.  I sent a rather lengthy letter to him explaining my issues and concerns and that I felt as if I was being fobbed off.  He took the time and read my letter and emailed me to say that he had asked his team to look at my letter urgently.  Great, Fantastic News!

Enter person no.3 who called me and we discussed the issues that I had raised and once again I was promised a email confirmation of our conversation and again I was let down.  I was slowly losing patience and I had to contact Christopher Edgington again, I say I was frustrated would be an understatement.  I was once again told that he would get his team to look at my letter urgently.  I was contacted again by person no.3 that day to see how I would like to proceed and replied to his email and ending it by saying I deserve a letter of apology at the very least.

The Cookery Club Update for Disabled Passengers

How disappointed I am with P&O is an understatement.  I really thought they tried hard to make all activities onboard their ships available to all passengers whether abled or disabled but apparently not.  In my earlier post "Britannia's Cookery Club"  I had said that I believed after studying photographs of the work stations that none had been adapted for use for disabled people.  
My cruise agent has reported back to me after spending a couple of days onboard Britannia and has confirmed that The Cookery Club does not have an adapted work station.  
I am lost for words.  My agent did say that they would probably try to help people with mobility problems but that is unrealistic. 

Anyone who lives with someone who is in a wheelchair or who uses a perching stool will know that you need a rise and fall unit or a work surface with space underneath so that you can wheel under or sit up close if using a stool. If I were to contact them about attending a class I wouldn't be suprised if they quoted health and safety at me for not allowing me to attend or as a resaon for not having an adapted station. 
I often wonder who P&O engage to come onto their ships and advise them on equipment and adaptions that are currently available for people with disabilities or mobility issues.  I have heard that often it is advisors that are able bodied and have never spent one day in a wheelchair, on crutches or used a scooter and so actually do not know the challenges we face on a day to day basis.  
My friends often joke that I would make a great mystery shopper, Someone needs to do it.  

Welcome to Katie's World

As  the description says this blog is about my life and the things that mean the most to me.  I am blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of individuals who actually love me for who I am.  Being born with Cerebral Palsy (Hemiplegia) I have  had to overcome many obstacles to have a normal life as I can.  From an early age I was encouraged by my parents to be the best that I can be and I think I have done them both proud.
We all have goals, dreams and desires that we aim to achieve and for me they have been a mixture of both major and minor ones.  Some have been happy some have been unhappy but they have moulded me.
At this moment in my life I am happy and content with where I am.  I have a lovely home, fantastic friends and the future looks positive, the universe is treating me well.  Some of my friends maybe not understand the last sentance as they see the daily
pain and discomfort l'm in and all I say is that my situation is not going to change.  I simply have two choices one is that I just live my life or I just give up and stop living and that is something that I will not do after the hardwork and sacrifices my family have made to get me to where I am today.  Watching Ellie Simmonds win gold in the 400m was so inspirational and I just thought how proud her family  must be and like every family that has a child with a disability they give so much and it is totally unconditional.