Shops on foundations - Good or Bad?

[Aerif]

Whilst I agree that more needs to be done in the UK to help the disabled, geting ramps placed everywhere is just impractical.

For one, getting ramps is expensive, especially on older buildings. There's planning permission required for the bulding itself (residential permission can usually take months, so commercial is probably worse), permission from the council to build onto the street, the prospect of defacing an historical building, health and safety stuff to get through (ramps can be very dangerous, icy conditions can block all access to a store, they can trip up passerbys etc.), contractors to hire and pay, the possible reduction of thoroughfare to install the ramp, et al..

With chain-brands, they usually need to get permission from the head office before being allowed to make modifications. With franchises of chains or independent retail outlets, the cost of a ramp could proabably cost several days worth of profit. And generally cause a big disturbance. The smaller the business the less likely they are too afford it. There may be some government subsidies for things like this, but it really is a lot of work to put in.

My mother often complains about the lack of wheelchair accessibility and nappy-changing rooms, since she is a carer for disabled young adults, so she's drilled it into me as to how much of an inconveniance it can be with the reduced mobility. But it all comes down to money and a majority-rules sort of thing, if 99.9% of clients don't need specialist accessability then it usually isn't made a top-priority. Especially if the cost of a ramp dwarves the amount of money made from customers who need a ramp to use the services.

In legal terms, it's a bit of a funny subject. It's not discrimination to not have a ramp if the majority of your customers are able-bodied, because if that counted as discrimination then you could claim that shops that don't provide braille signage are discriminatory against deaf people, restaraunts that don't provide non-meat dishes are discriminatory against vegetarians etc.

I'm sorry if I come off as insensitive, I agree that public services and new builds should be wheelchair/pushchair accessible. But there's no way of accomodating everyone all the time.

[Caladbolg]

You're 100% right Albha! There is a legal issue with it. Lets take the 'good' place i can't get into for example,

I just need to make an appearance and the girl sees me through the window and comes out to me

now the not as nice one,

There's a good few yards (my mum's estimate, don't know how long a yard is) between where i sit in subway and where the counter is, take into account i will be lower down from sitting in the wheelchair AND being below the steps :/

able bodied people queue at the counter thus blocking my view to the staff (and the staff's view to me). The financial and legal side of things may take another few years to change but socially there should be minor attempts to let me get served... I think so anyway.