The world of disability and equality is frustrating. There are so many instances where it seems as though we are making a lot of progress, and then a story is released that shows how far behind the world is when it comes to being able to offer a comparable service for disabled people and those who are not. As an NDIS provider on the Gold Coast, we work hard to try and provide accessibility and inclusion for all of our clients and their families, so reading reports such as this always leaves us feeling slightly down that more is not being done by everyone.
UK Travel Lodge Disappoints
Kat Watkins is a wheelchair user with brittle bone disease and sleep apnea. She is also a development officer at Disability Wales for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means that she travels extensively for work but, like all of us, also enjoys the odd social outing. She had booked a room at the Hounslow Travelodge Hotel for both herself and her personal assistant. They had travelled to the area to see James Bay perform at the Royal Albert Hall on the 26th of April, 2023. Knowing that travelling with disabilities can be more challenging, Watkins always books in advance and makes it clear that she is booking an accessible room. She had been to this Travelodge previously without problem, but on arrival, she was told that have booked room was no longer available because all the accessible rooms were deemed out of order.
Alternatives Offered
This in itself is not always a problem; although naturally disappointing, she was initially offered two alternatives. Remaining at the initial hotel and using a family room but accepting that the wheelchair did not fit into the bathroom, or transferring to a Travelodge based in Twickenham that did have an accessible room on offer given the plans they had made the first solution seemed the most sensible, and they accepted this offer. They attended the concert as planned, arriving back at the hotel just after midnight. At this point, they were informed that the family room was not available after all, but the receptionist would organise transport to the Twickenham Travelodge. However, this didn’t seem to be a possibility as, despite several attempts, the receptionist could not find any available taxis suitable for her and her wheelchair.
Sleep in the Dining Room
In the end, the only solution they could come up with was to sweep on two sofas in the dining room area, which were not suitable bed alternatives and did not work well with the ventilator she uses at night. Disability Wales issued a statement saying, “Kat’s experience was particularly bad; however, we have many examples from our members, and my colleagues, of very poor service in hotels.” The spokesperson for the Travelodge has apologised on behalf of the venue and has invited her back to try and restore her face in the hotel, chain and brand.