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Family of disabled boy say he can't get to school after council refused to fund taxi transport



Ben Beech faces being unable to get to school after Stockport Council said he was not eligible for school transport

The family of a disabled boy say he cannot get to school after being refused taxi transport by Stockport council.

Ben Beech, 11, from Romiley, has a rare form of dwarfism known as metatropic dysplasia and has recently started using an electric wheelchair to get him between classes.

The youngster is in his final year of primary school and will be starting Werneth School, in Bredbury, this September.

But because he lives within a three mile radius of the school, Stockport council have turned down his parents’ application for taxi transport and suggested ‘a number of alternative solutions’.

However, Ben’s mum Sarah Beech said the family cannot afford to fork out £13,000 to adapt their car for carrying his electric wheelchair. She says Ben will instead have to cross busy main roads to make his way to school, with the council offering a cover for when it rains.

According to Sarah, the council suggested she take him to school in his manual wheelchair and transfer him into the electric wheelchair once there, but she says this would be impossible as she works as a dental nurse and cannot walk him to school herself every day.

A recent letter from the council’s Special Educational Needs department said a ‘shortage’ in contractors makes it difficult to find a taxi for short journeys.

Sarah, 42, told the M.E.N: “Ben finishes primary school on Wednesday and the secondary school have already broken up. There is nobody to speak to about housing an electric wheelchair, I don’t know how this is going to work out.

“I have been trying to keep Ben away from it. He is 11 years old, he is very savvy; it is a physical disability not mental.

“What should be a cheery time celebrating finishing school he has got this hanging over him. Just because there is a shortage and cuts we are going to have to let a vulnerable young adult make his own way to school.

“If they don’t provide us with transport he can’t have an education, I can’t get him to school myself.”

Andrew Webb, Stockport council’s corporate director for services to people, said: “The council is committed to helping all children be as independent as they can.

“We have been working with Ben Beech’s parents to try to resolve our differences and have suggested a number of alternative solutions, including providing a second wheelchair that could be kept at school. “Unfortunately, at this time, we have not been able to agree a way forward and the family still has a right of appeal should they wish to pursue it.”

source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... t-11666219

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

How times have changed. When I was a kid growing up, the lad next door had muscular dystrophy. As his condition got worse and he had to use a wheel chair you would think that it would be the end of any kind of life. No, we used to go round and get him in his wheelchair and he would go almost everywhere with us. OK he couldn't play football or stuff like that but he still came out with us. We were about 10 or 11 at the time. At about that time he started at a bording school miles away but evert time he was home for the holidays we would include him in most of what we did.
In a situation like this though if the Council can't or wont provide transport due to the short distance I don't think it is unreasonable for the parents to change their car for one that is suitable for transporting their own son or don't they want to take him anywhere apart from school?

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Grandad,

Grandad,I agree with your sentiments whole heartily,this story highlights what is wrong with society today,everyone wants someone else to carry out the functions what parents should be doing as the norm.

If the Lads that bad he'll get full Mobility allowance and that's the money that should be being spent on a suitable vehicle or on Taxis..

Saves me typing that.

& me the parasitic fookers, they should be fooking ashamed honestly

typical in this day in age , expecting someone else to foot the bill and take care of your offspring, and the child, not a savvy young adult suffers because the Mother is too selfish to take responsibility for her own child and take him to school, well wake up lady it is YOUR responsibility to get your child to school,failure to do so and you will be fined!......I do believe in excess of £400 a month in DLA will fund a taxi , that is what it is paid for .......to assist in day to day expense.