TWO brothers with muscular dystrophy had to crawl to their car after security guards at a Melbourne shopping centre refused to let them take wheelchairs inside, their sister said today.
'sandra Costa said her brothers, in their 40s, were in tears after security at Westfield's Fountain Gate shopping centre forced them to discard the borrowed wheelchairs at the entrance.
She said she was told it was policy not to allow the centre's wheelchairs out of the complex but bollards prevented vehicles getting up to the entrance.
"It was only probably about three metres to get the chairs out but the security guard wouldn't allow us to bring them out," she told Southern Cross radio.
"So one of my brothers had to get down and crawl to the car ... the other one half-crawled; I picked him up but it's really hard to get them in the car because they're big guys.
"One of my brothers was crying and swearing in the car (on the way home) to be honest and he said he's never going back there again.
"It was really humiliating to see them just crawl to the car."
Ms Costa said her brothers just wanted to be treated as human beings.
"I just think they (Fountain Gate management) should have a bit of dignity and compassion and change the rule," she said.
Westfield issued a statement apologising for the incident, saying the guidelines for use of wheelchairs at its centres would be reviewed immediately.
"The company is investigating the incident, which appears to have arisen over the interpretation by staff of guidelines governing the safe use of wheelchairs and other equipment provided to shoppers outside the centre," the statement said.
"The company deeply regrets the embarrassment and indignity suffered by the two shoppers and their family and will seek to meet with them privately to apologise and explain the steps taken to avoid this or similar incidents occurring again."
The Muscular Dystrophy Association of Australia (MDA) said similar incidents were reasonably common about 15 years ago.
"(But) as an organisation we haven't received notification of this kind of complaint for a long time," executive director Boris Struk said.
He shared Ms Costa's disappointment and said commonsense should have prevailed.
"Whether it's a strict policy or someone overstepped the mark, people should be a bit more compassionate and caring about two individuals who needed assistance to traverse three metres with a wheelchair," he said.
"What are they going to do - run away with it?"
'sandra Costa said her brothers, in their 40s, were in tears after security at Westfield's Fountain Gate shopping centre forced them to discard the borrowed wheelchairs at the entrance.
She said she was told it was policy not to allow the centre's wheelchairs out of the complex but bollards prevented vehicles getting up to the entrance.
"It was only probably about three metres to get the chairs out but the security guard wouldn't allow us to bring them out," she told Southern Cross radio.
"So one of my brothers had to get down and crawl to the car ... the other one half-crawled; I picked him up but it's really hard to get them in the car because they're big guys.
"One of my brothers was crying and swearing in the car (on the way home) to be honest and he said he's never going back there again.
"It was really humiliating to see them just crawl to the car."
Ms Costa said her brothers just wanted to be treated as human beings.
"I just think they (Fountain Gate management) should have a bit of dignity and compassion and change the rule," she said.
Westfield issued a statement apologising for the incident, saying the guidelines for use of wheelchairs at its centres would be reviewed immediately.
"The company is investigating the incident, which appears to have arisen over the interpretation by staff of guidelines governing the safe use of wheelchairs and other equipment provided to shoppers outside the centre," the statement said.
"The company deeply regrets the embarrassment and indignity suffered by the two shoppers and their family and will seek to meet with them privately to apologise and explain the steps taken to avoid this or similar incidents occurring again."
The Muscular Dystrophy Association of Australia (MDA) said similar incidents were reasonably common about 15 years ago.
"(But) as an organisation we haven't received notification of this kind of complaint for a long time," executive director Boris Struk said.
He shared Ms Costa's disappointment and said commonsense should have prevailed.
"Whether it's a strict policy or someone overstepped the mark, people should be a bit more compassionate and caring about two individuals who needed assistance to traverse three metres with a wheelchair," he said.
"What are they going to do - run away with it?"
posted by William at 10:23 PM
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