‘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, Maddie Haining, recounted her experience of being asked to leave Club Tropicana in Manchester’s Gay Village after staff claimed her wheelchair posed a safety risk. The incident occurred on a Saturday night when she arrived with a companion, only to be expelled shortly after entering.

“It’s not okay to be removed from bars simply because of one’s disability and uniqueness. If they can be in there, why shouldn’t we?”

Before arriving at the club, Maddie and her friend had already visited several other venues in the city. Upon entering Club Tropicana, security initially assured them there was no issue with their presence. However, after her friend left for a drink, staff returned to inform Maddie they were “really sorry” but had been instructed to ask her to leave.

When Maddie requested to speak with the manager, he arrived and was described as “horribly rude” throughout the interaction. She challenged him, asking, “How was I a safety risk?” asserting that the staff had not addressed her concerns properly. The manager shifted his explanation to a “fire risk,” prompting Maddie to show the 2010 Equality Act on her phone.

“You can’t make me leave because I’m in a wheelchair – this is discrimination,”

Club Tropicana stated that an investigation is ongoing and that it “would be inappropriate to comment further.” The club confirmed it had been informed of the incident but not directly contacted by Maddie. Manchester City Council is also reviewing the situation after she submitted a complaint to its licensing committee.

Under the Equality Act, venues are legally required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled individuals. This includes providing accessible facilities like ramps and ensuring evacuation plans accommodate all visitors. Maddie noted that the manager threatened to assign any fines to her, despite her knowledge of her rights.

“The whole thing was really embarrassing. I was in a bar with my friends and kept getting security sent over,” she said. “It was infuriating because I showed them the law, yet they didn’t seem to understand it.” Maddie emphasized that being disabled for nearly five years had equipped her with awareness of such rights, but the experience was new for her.

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