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Accessible room not suitable for my powerchair needs
Accessible room not suitable for my powerchair needs
I booked an accessible room at Premier Inn Chelmsford City because I am a full-time powerchair user. Unfortunately, my experience highlighted several serious accessibility issues that other disabled guests should be aware of.
The biggest problem was the bed. It was far too low for me to safely transfer from my powerchair. I spoke to reception, but was told the bed could not be raised and that no additional mattress could be provided. I was also told that the accessible rooms were designed with manual wheelchair users in mind and that beds in standard rooms were higher.
This left me with no suitable place to sleep. I ultimately had to attempt to sleep in my powerchair and hardly slept at all. By the morning, my feet were swollen and I was in significant pain.
The bathroom also presented difficulties. The toilet was a good height for transferring from a powerchair, but the bathroom door was extremely heavy and difficult for me to operate independently. It also did not open fully, leaving a very tight gap to manoeuvre through with my powerchair.
I need to lie on my left side when sleeping, so my friend tried moving the bed to allow me to position my wheelchair alongside it for a transfer. Unfortunately, there was not enough space around the bed for my powerchair to get into a suitable position.
There were further accessibility concerns outside the room. I found heavy doors between the lift and my room difficult to manage independently. I was staying on the fourth floor and am dependent on a lift to evacuate, but I was not offered or asked about a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).
I also found the entrance confusing from an accessibility perspective, as there was a step at the entrance.
My main advice to other powerchair users would be to contact the hotel directly before booking and ask very specific questions about bed height, space around the bed, bathroom door width and weight, and the evacuation arrangements. Do not assume that an “accessible room” will automatically meet your individual access needs.
The staff I spoke to were unable to provide a solution when I explained that I could not transfer onto the bed, which unfortunately turned what should have been an enjoyable overnight trip into a painful and exhausting experience.
There are some positive accessibility features, including the height of the toilet, but in my experience the room was not suitable for an independent powerchair user with significant transfer needs. Most importantly, I would urge the hotel to review the accessibility of its beds, as having an accessible bathroom is of little comfort if you cannot safely get into bed.
Good points though were it did have a hanging red pull cord in the toilet and an eye level view hole through the front door for both wheelchair users and people standing.
Accessible room not suitable for my powerchair needs
I booked an accessible room at Premier Inn Chelmsford City because I am a full-time powerchair user. Unfortunately, my experience highlighted several serious accessibility issues that other disabled guests should be aware of.
The biggest problem was the bed. It was far too low for me to safely transfer from my powerchair. I spoke to reception, but was told the bed could not be raised and that no additional mattress could be provided. I was also told that the accessible rooms were designed with manual wheelchair users in mind and that beds in standard rooms were higher.
This left me with no suitable place to sleep. I ultimately had to attempt to sleep in my powerchair and hardly slept at all. By the morning, my feet were swollen and I was in significant pain.
The bathroom also presented difficulties. The toilet was a good height for transferring from a powerchair, but the bathroom door was extremely heavy and difficult for me to operate independently. It also did not open fully, leaving a very tight gap to manoeuvre through with my powerchair.
I need to lie on my left side when sleeping, so my friend tried moving the bed to allow me to position my wheelchair alongside it for a transfer. Unfortunately, there was not enough space around the bed for my powerchair to get into a suitable position.
There were further accessibility concerns outside the room. I found heavy doors between the lift and my room difficult to manage independently. I was staying on the fourth floor and am dependent on a lift to evacuate, but I was not offered or asked about a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).
I also found the entrance confusing from an accessibility perspective, as there was a step at the entrance.
My main advice to other powerchair users would be to contact the hotel directly before booking and ask very specific questions about bed height, space around the bed, bathroom door width and weight, and the evacuation arrangements. Do not assume that an “accessible room” will automatically meet your individual access needs.
The staff I spoke to were unable to provide a solution when I explained that I could not transfer onto the bed, which unfortunately turned what should have been an enjoyable overnight trip into a painful and exhausting experience.
There are some positive accessibility features, including the height of the toilet, but in my experience the room was not suitable for an independent powerchair user with significant transfer needs. Most importantly, I would urge the hotel to review the accessibility of its beds, as having an accessible bathroom is of little comfort if you cannot safely get into bed.
Good points though were it did have a hanging red pull cord in the toilet and an eye level view hole through the front door for both wheelchair users and people standing.
