lee 's Scooter Girl Campaign

[Guest guest]

Heyya,

For the last 7 years Ive been touring in the UK doing my comedy. I love what I

do. I travel from top to bottom on this island and I keep running into problems

when I try to take many buses and trains. Each company has their own rules

regarding scooters. Some companies have a ban on scooters. They can do this

because scooters are NOT considered wheelchairs so are not umbrella-ed under

their disabled discrimination laws.

I have started a campaign to bring this issue to the forefront. I have created a

Facebook page. Please forward, tweet, email to ANYONE

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=203 & uid=154829427861051#!/group.php?gid=\

154829427861051 & ref=ts

Below is the letter I have been sending to the world. I am hoping to draw enough

public attention to get some median attention in hopes to update these archaic

policies.

SCOOTER GIRL CAMPAIGN

My name is lee . I have a form of dwarfism, which has allowed me to

reach the stellar height of 3 foot 6 inches tall. I have been a professional

comedian for 20 + years. Thanks to my career I have been fortunate enough to

travel and perform all over the world. I have never more disabled than being in

the UK.

I use a 3-wheeled, dry-cell, battery operated mobility scooter (45 kilos in

weight) because I cannot walk long distances. I do not drive a car so I'm forced

to take public transportation such as the trains and buses. In the 7 years of

touring from top to bottom of the UK I have run into problems with some train

and bus companies refusing to let me on with my scooter. A few years back I

arrived via train into Oxford from Reading for a show at Jongleurs Comedy club.

The platform supervisor had not received a call notifying him that ramp

assistance would be needed to get me off the train. The train ended up being a

few mins delayed while he ran around to get the ramp. When I informed him that I

would be back in a few hours to take the train back to Reading he said he would

not allow me on the train because I was using a scooter than those were banned

from the train. He didn't say banned from a specific train line he just said he

wouldn't allow me on. When I returned about 11:30PM the supervisor approached me

with a book listing the policies for 1 of the train companies. The fact was that

my scooter met the size parameters listed as acceptable for travel but the

picture listed under not acceptable looked just like the scooter I was using

therefore the supervisor refused to help me. He told me I would have to take a

taxi at my own expense the 40 or so miles back to Reading. That was not an

option. I was so devastated and distraught. I rang another scooter using, little

person friend of mine and she checked the train schedule. She said there was a

Virgin train coming thru at midnight and that they accommodated scooters. When

that train pulled up the supervisor ran ahead of me to speak with the train

guard. I scooted up behind him and got the guards attention. The guard himself

got a ramp off the train and assisted me on the train while the platform guy

stormed off. I ended up hanging out in the vestibule with the train guard and he

asked me why the platform guy was telling him not to let me on the train. It was

shocking!

I have too many incidents to list but most recently when I was in Edinburgh at

the fringe (for only a few days) I waited 25 mins for the bus at 5AM in the

pouring rain and 2 buses refused to let me onboard. Fellow travelers even

pleaded with the driver to show some compassion because it was raining. I

drilled him on why I was not allowed. I suggested I get out of the scooter and

sit in a seat but he insisted that the company was not insured for scooters. He

said the scooter could break down. The only way the scooter would break is if he

crashed the bus! A lovely man even refused to get on the bus because I was not

allowed and he didn't want me to stand all alone in the rain in the middle of

the night. Eventually this kind man had to flag down a taxi for me because none

of them would stop for me and I sat waving in my scooter.

I've done some research and found out when the policy against discrimination of

people with disabilities was implemented; mobility scooters were not included

because there were less popular in 1995. Since then mobility scooters have been

made smaller and sturdier making them more popular for people who don't need to

be confined to a wheelchair. Having a mobility scooter allows me to be

independent! I need it to help get me from point A to B, and then I get out and

walk.

I have been on buses or have been by bus stops when a woman has gotten on the

bus with a baby pram this is double the size of my scooter and there was no

argument. Just recently, after a bus driver refused to let me on the bus I saw 2

lads get onto a city bus with a dog that came up to my shoulders. It was not a

guide dog but apparently that dog has more right to travel on public transport

than I do. I'm after all just trying to get to work independently.

I am part of a comedy troupe called " Abnormally Funny People " . We are a group of

mostly disabled comedians who were brought together to film a documentary for

SkyTV in 2005. The show focused on the group coming together and putting on a

seriously successful Edinburgh fringe show. Since then AFP has done many

corporate gigs for the DRC, various political events as well as campaigns for

disability and transport. I was part of the GoJo Campaign that encourages

disabled people to take public transport. I stood on top of my scooter on a

London City bus and told jokes for this campaign. Here is a link to 1 of the

videos

The ridiculous thing is that here I am trying to encourage people with varying

disabilities to take public transport yet I get refused because the mobility

device I use is not covered under the same mandate.

I was also commissioned through Abnormally Funny People to write a " day trip "

blog for the Disabled Person's Railcard website in May 2010.

I am now on a self appointed crusade. I want to become THE FACE of scooter

people and demand that the policy gets updated to include scooters. I was

featured in an ITV documentary called " Worlds Smallest People " and I just

finished a pilot for the BBC on Comedy and Disability. I would like to use the

wee bit of notoriety I have to get this issue to the forefront. With the

Para-Olympics approaching it will be necessary not to leave anyone on a train

platform or at a bus stop and it's all about inclusion no matter what mobility

issues they have.

If you can be of any assistance or have information, suggestions, questions,

whatever please feel free to contact me.

Extremely independent,

lee