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Disabled Accrington woman 'left stranded' at Salford train station (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Disabled Accrington woman 'left stranded' at Salford train station
6:30pm Sunday 28th September 2008
A WOMAN in a wheelchair was left stranded at a station when staff would not let her board a train home.
Noreen Akhtar, from the Milnshaw ward in Accrington, says she was ‘point blank’ refused help to get onto a train from Salford Crescent station.
She has traumatic Tetraplegia, which causes paralysis, after sustaining a spinal cord injury in an accident when she was a child.
Miss Akthar, 27, said she was left feeling ‘helpless’, ‘vulnerable’ and ‘intimidated’ after missing two trains when she was not allowed to board without explanation.
Northern Rail has said it is now investigating Ms Akhtar’s complaint but maintained it meets its responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Miss Akhtar, who had initially tried to board the 12.47pm train on September 15 with her sister Nafisah Bibi, 18, after visiting Salford University, said: “The member of staff clearly stated to us that he did not allow wheelchairs and ramps at his train station “The train conductors even offered to put the ramp out for me but he just shouted out to him and told them that no ramps were to be laid out for me.”
Miss Akhtar claims she was told that she would have to get out of the wheelchair herself if she wanted to get on the train but when the third train arrived that it was a one-off that she would be allowed to board.
She added: “I am so furious just because I am disabled no one has the right to treat me in such a manner.”
Northern Rail said: “We are investigating the complaint.
“Northern fully meets its responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Customers who require assistance can contact our Customer Relations team who will ensure that in cases such as Salford Crescent, where there is no level access to the platforms, alternative arrangements can be made.”
County Councillor Anne Brown, cabinet member for adult social care, slammed the ‘awful’ actions of the rail bosses.
She said: "If this happened then it is a disgrace.”
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Your Say YourTelegraph
amreen, accrington says...
10:26am Mon 29 Sep 08
shaista111, blackburn says...
12:28pm Mon 29 Sep 08
Shah1d, Prestwich says...
1:19pm Mon 29 Sep 08
asad_farooq, blackburn says...
2:37pm Mon 29 Sep 08
I cant belive that NORTHERN RAIL could employ such arrogant and untrained staff.
NORTHERN RAIL needs to do something about the person who treated MISS NOREEN with such dispicable, intolerable, unacceptable behavior if they dont i personally will do something about it. If people like this stay working for are countries public transport no disable persons gonna be safe.
Noreen were on your side.
BK, Accrington says...
3:56pm Mon 29 Sep 08
Maleeha + Amyla, says...
5:04pm Mon 29 Sep 08
t-mobilepreston, preston says...
7:44pm Mon 29 Sep 08
as with the young lady after being though horid experience the least northern rail can do is give her some compensation.
ZEE, BLACKBURN says...
8:33pm Mon 29 Sep 08
samantha08, blackburn says...
9:50pm Mon 29 Sep 08
Ansar, Burton on Trent says...
1:37pm Tue 30 Sep 08
Northern Rail better have suspended him untill this is sorted out!!!!!
Anne S, Accrington says...
5:17pm Tue 30 Sep 08
cllr malcolm pritchard, accrington says...
11:08pm Wed 1 Oct 08
Marya&Khalisah, Accrington says...
5:52pm Thu 2 Oct 08
stationmaster, Warrington says...
12:24am Fri 3 Oct 08
FACT: National Rail advertises that Salford Crescent "is not suitable for wheelchair users for access or to interchange between trains as the ramps do not fit onto the platform properly.". This has been the case since the station opened in 1989.
FACT: ALL Railway staff receive Disability Awareness training.
FACT: Northern Rail receives less complaints pro-rata (based on number of incidents/trains operated) than other train companies'.
FACT: Passengers are advised to contact in advance for assisted travel, for advice and giving alternative travel to the nearest accessible station. This appears not to have been done.
The fault is with the local and national government, who built the station on the cheap in the first place in the 1980's, and made Northern Rail sign a franchise contract for no investment.
Paddy Mac, Darwen says...
3:41pm Fri 3 Oct 08
"not suitable for wheelchair access"
You should blame the people who left her stranded at an unsuitable station.
BK, Accrington says...
10:39pm Fri 3 Oct 08
IT IS NOT A MATTER OF NOT BEING ABLE TO READ SIGNS, THE SIGNS ARE NOT CLEAR, VISIT THE STATION AND SEE FOR YOURSELF OR GET YOURSELF TO SPECSAVERS!!!!!!!!! ALSO FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS WAS A MATTER REGARDING ACCESS ON THE STATION IF THE ARTICLE IS READ CAREFULLY, THE ISSUE IS A DISABLED WOMAN NOT BEING ALLOWED TO BOARD THE TRAIN AND BEING LEFT STRANDED BY THE STATION STAFF!!!!!!!
FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE GOVERMENT HAS PROVIDED US WITH LEGISLATION REGARDING DISABLED PEOPLE AND ACCESS AND HAS RAISED AWARENESS ON THIS ISSUE, SO IT IS NORTHERN RAILS STAFF WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED APPROPRIATE TRAINING IN READING THE DDA 1995.
asad_farooq, blackburn says...
11:39pm Fri 3 Oct 08
it is clear that not only it is northern rail staff that are ignorant to the DDA 1995.
I take its clear you two didnt read the article clearly, its not about being able to read signs its about how a disabled woman was not aloud on several trains by a northern rail staff,
Paddy Mac, Darwen says...
11:22am Sat 4 Oct 08
But she didnt.
She chose to stay and complain.
I am sure countless others have faced similar difficulties and not turned it into a media farce.
I cant help but wonder if all the above responses are only there because she is a member of the asian community.
Imagine if she fell and hurt herself using the ramp that isnt designed for the station?
The station is probably not insured against disabled users as it is ill-designed.
No doubt the same people above would be citing that she should sue the train company and sack the staff.
Alan Roberts, burnley says...
4:15pm Sat 4 Oct 08
Also regardless of whether Noreen is a member of an asian community or not, that is not the point. The point is all comments that have been made are from all people who sympathise with the horrible ordeal she faced....no one should experience what she went through. what happened to EQUAL RIGHTS!!!!
I am glad that this has been brought to light and really do hope something is done about:
1.Training the staff (because how Noreen was treated and shouted at was discraceful, the rail staff had absolutey no right whatsoever to do that. I would'nt be suprised if he/she has not treated other disabled individuals in such an unacceptable manner in the past)
people like this member of Northern Rail staff should be named and shamed.
2.Disabled access (NORTHERN RAIL should look into providing suitable access for the disabled just because an individual is in a wheelchair doesnt mean they shouldnt be allowed to attend the station)
I honestely do hope Northern Rail carry out a full investigation into how Noreen was treated so unfairly. Justice should be brought for Noreen because from reading the article it can be seen discrimnination has occurred!
jubilee tower, Darwen says...
10:14pm Sat 4 Oct 08
Firstly there's no train to Accrington at 47 minutes past the hour, there's only one train direct to Accrington and that's in the evening.
Any other time and you have to change trains at Blackburn, and that train leaves Salford Crescent at 6 minutes past the hour, which, all things being equal would be the third train mentioned in this article.
Salford Crescent is completely unsuitable for wheelchairs, and Northern Rail PAY FOR TAXIS to a station where a wheelchair can be used if the journey is arranged beforehand!
However, I suspect that if somebody is shouting and screaming at a member of station staff, that courtesy is less likely to happen. If somebody started arguing the toss where I work, then as a manager, I would not give them the time of day - I treat everybody equally, and if somebody shouts at my staff for doing their job, then I will support them to the hilt.
As Stationmaster has said Salford Crescent is unsuitable, I suggest the station staff said that it would be unsafe to load there, and got a mouthful of abuse for their trouble. Looking at the timetable, I find it extremely hard to believe the article, and I suggest that while there may have been an incident, the whole thing has been blown out of all proportion and exaggerated just to get in the paper in a "poor little old me" article.
Perhaps, before Nafeesha Shan is entrusted with writing news articles in for the LET in future, she would be good enough to check her facts before subjecting us readers to fiction.
stationmaster, Warrington says...
10:44pm Sat 4 Oct 08
Considering the station has not had disabled access EVER, why have OTHER disabled users (which I know personally) not complained to the press, disability user groups, local (Salford City Council) councillors, GMPTE officials, etc?
Is it because they are mature, responsible adults, who make the effort to be informed about their journey?
Again, how did they (her and her sister) even get access to the station platform, unless they placed themselves in danger?
The platform itself is short and narrow, cluttered with people, buildings and station furniture that makes it UNSAFE to board/detrain wheelchair users.
WORK is being done to address the issue, which is building a brand-new, larger station, rebuilt on a different site, within the next few years. However, instead of just wheelchair users being affected, EVERYONE (able-bodied, visually-impaired, etc) will be "DISCRIMINATED" against whilst the station is moved.
amreen, accrington says...
9:17pm Sun 5 Oct 08
Also it was not a case of the train station being unsuitable, but of the manner and ill treatment she received from this ignorant member of staff who if he wanted to he could have dealt with this situation in a professional manner and allow Noreen to board the train. Also it was not a case of no availabilty of wheelchair space on the train but a case of clear discrimination and heartless behaviour.
Paddy Mac who mentioned that he thinks that Noreen is only receiving responses because she is from an asian community, well that again shows ignorance because no matter who you are and where you come from, no one should face discrimination and keep quiet about it. They have a right to express their emotions and views,to a wide audience by sending a clear message across to all people that discrimination will not be tolerated and if faced then will ensure that every action will be taken so no other person expriences DISCRIMINATION for being wheelchair bound!!!!!
Paddy Mac, Darwen says...
8:54am Mon 6 Oct 08
stationmaster wrote:Well said stationmaster.
BK, please don't SHOUT, it's poor etiquette. FYI, stationmaster is disabled, has qualified in law, and, in particular, studied the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and its Amendments 2001, and has enforced it in the railway environment. Considering the station has not had disabled access EVER, why have OTHER disabled users (which I know personally) not complained to the press, disability user groups, local (Salford City Council) councillors, GMPTE officials, etc? Is it because they are mature, responsible adults, who make the effort to be informed about their journey? Again, how did they (her and her sister) even get access to the station platform, unless they placed themselves in danger? The platform itself is short and narrow, cluttered with people, buildings and station furniture that makes it UNSAFE to board/detrain wheelchair users. WORK is being done to address the issue, which is building a brand-new, larger station, rebuilt on a different site, within the next few years. However, instead of just wheelchair users being affected, EVERYONE (able-bodied, visually-impaired, etc) will be "DISCRIMINATED" against whilst the station is moved.
I will be contacting Nafeesa Shan in the near future when I pass through Salford doing my Christmas shopping in Manchester, demanding that action be taken and staff sacked due to the DISCRIMINATION I feel when upgrades are taking place at Salford station.
Or, as a responsible adult, I will plan my journey correctly.
stationmaster, Warrington says...
9:17am Mon 6 Oct 08
Asking him/her to do somethinng unsafe, would be like asking a fireman to fight a blaze with a bottle of Evian.
Imagine if they HAD done it, and something DID go wrong. The staff would possibly LOSE their job, Noreen COULD have been injured, and Northern could have been in breach of their safety licence, meaning NO trains for EVERYONE.
jubilee tower, Darwen says...
11:53am Mon 6 Oct 08
The article says that the person was taking a train home. Home is in Accrington, not Manchester Victoria.
What else in this article is inaccurate?
snowie, Blackburn says...
2:41pm Sat 11 Oct 08
I cannot believe how selfish and ignorant some people's attitudes are on this site. Be a step forward for humanity and decency in Britain. Those so dismissive of the DDA should maybe think about it! All it takes for an able-bodied person to become disabled is a car accident, an illness or, even, simply growing old. Perhaps if those who are callous suffered that misfortune their attitudes might change.
She has not made this complaint just to get on the bandwagon to create a media farce, but to get her point of view across and a wakeup call to those who don’t comply should face the wrath of law.
5uby, Dubai says...
9:12am Sun 12 Oct 08
The petty minded, narrow thinking, meelie mouthed, ignorant little git. Sack the jobsworth!
As for the rail staff comments above, there is no need to get all sanctimonious and FACTUAL! The whole point is he did wrong, and he will be exposed. He is giving the rest of you a bad name, therefore, all the more reason to get rid of this bad egg.
Lastly, I wonder if Noreen would have been treated in the same manner, had she been White? I think not.
shazinuae, dubai says...
9:18am Tue 28 Oct 08
I am an ex-councillor living in DUBAI, and these kinds of incidents are one of the reasons why I chose to leave the UK.
I have personally experienced racial discrimination have dealt with 100's of cases which involved racist or discriminatory behavior. The basis for this is usually ignorance, a lack of cultural understanding and or direct discrimination.
Even though the Race Equality laws /DDA have been reviewed and are now mandatory for all, the real issues that need to be tackled are the root causes which lead to these behaviors.
We all have to live and support the basis of basic human rights and rules and regulations and facilities are only the surface issues and we need to dig deeper to get our houses in order.
Noreen Akthar needs an explanation as to why someone who has this kind of behaviour is working in a customer service role, and what action and responsibility will Northern Rail take to ensure this does not happen again.
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snowie, Blackburn says...
11:28pm Sun 28 Sep 08