‘I was kicked out of bar because of my wheelchair’
I Was Kicked Out of Bar Because of My Wheelchair
An 18-year-old woman from Oldham shared her experience of being removed from a nightclub after being told her wheelchair posed a safety risk. The incident occurred at Club Tropicana in Manchester’s Gay Village on Saturday night, leaving her feeling “embarrassing and infuriating.”
Maddie Haining arrived at the club with a friend but was asked to leave within five minutes of entering. She recorded the exchange on Instagram, emphasizing her frustration: “It’s not okay to be removed from bars because you are disabled and different to other people. If they can be in there then why shouldn’t we.”
“I showed them the Equality Act on my phone to explain that wheelchair users cannot be removed over a fire risk as evacuation plans must be inclusive,” she said.
Earlier that night, Maddie and her companion had visited other bars in the city without issue. Security staff initially allowed them in, even helping to lift her wheelchair into the venue. However, after her friend left to get a drink, the staff returned and informed her they had been instructed to ask her to leave.
When Maddie requested to speak with the manager, he arrived and was “horribly rude, really really rude the whole time he was speaking to me,” she recounted. She challenged him on the reasoning, asking, “how was I a safety risk?” He failed to provide a clear explanation, shifting the narrative to claim she was a fire risk.
“I said ‘you can’t make me leave because I’m in a wheelchair – this is discrimination,’ she said. ‘But he wasn’t having any of it. He just kept repeating himself and not acknowledging anything.'”
Club Tropicana stated in a response that an investigation was ongoing and they “would be inappropriate to comment further.” The club confirmed they were aware of the incident but had not received direct contact from Maddie. Manchester City Council also noted they were reviewing the situation following her complaint to its licensing committee.
Under the Equality Act 2010, venues are legally required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled individuals. This includes features like ramps and inclusive evacuation plans. Maddie claimed the manager threatened to pass on any fines the club incurred to her, adding to her sense of being unfairly targeted.
Though she eventually decided to leave, she requested staff names and contact details to pursue a formal complaint. “The whole thing was really embarrassing,” she said. “I was in a bar with my friends and kept getting security sent over.”
Being disabled for nearly five years, Maddie feels she has a strong grasp of her rights. “It was infuriating as I showed them the law and they had not taken any of it on board,” she explained.
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