Opinion: Why wheelchair users should have priority over buggy users

Wheelchair users no longer have priority over parents with buggies - and Closer's Kayleigh Dray thinks this is a mistake

BY4HNJ

by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

There's no doubt in my mind that travelling on public transport with a young child and a pushchair is stressful.

But why should they have more right than wheelchair users?

Mothers, fathers, and guardians CHOOSE to use a pushchair. There are other ways for them to get their child around - they could try a sling, they could use a carrier, they could use a smaller pushchair which folds up and seat the child on their lap, or - if their child is of age - they could have them walk.

So, if you are an able-bodied person who lives in an area where you rely on the bus, it seems badly thought out to use a large pushchair as a means of getting your child about - especially one which can't be folded down in case of a disabled person needing the space.

Stock image
Stock image

A disabled person - generally - has no choice - they HAVE to use their wheelchair to get out and about.

The bays on buses were originally designated as wheelchair spaces and they happened because disabled people protested and chained themselves to buses in the 1990s.

If that space isn't available, that person can't travel. Simple as.

The inconvenience of folding a buggy up is a small price to pay for working legs. Able bodied people should help accommodate people with disabilities without needing to be asked.

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