Firefighters come to the rescue to get wheelchair out of Coventry taxi as ramp buckles Four-year-old disabled boy lifted from chair and carried out of city-built black cab
Firefighters came to the rescue to get a wheelchair out of a Coventry taxi after the ramp buckled.
Disabled four-year-old Noah Wall was lifted out of his heavy wheelchair and carried out of the city-built black cab.
But that left his mum puzzling how to get the wheelchair out without risking pushing it down the damaged ramp.
In the end firefighters from Coventry Fire Station were called to haul the chair out of the taxi.
Since the incident, Noah and his mum Shelly have been invited by the London Taxi Company to help redesign the ramp on the black cabs.
The drama began when Shelly Wall, 44, called a taxi for herself, Noah and her 23-year-old daughter Steph to travel to their hotel in The Butts, Spon End.
The family, from Cumbria, were staying in the hotel on a visit to Coventry to find a vehicle adapted for carrying Noah’s wheelchair.
Shelly was horrified when the ramp buckled as Noah’s wheelchair was pushed into the taxi.
When the family reached the hotel Noah was carried inside leaving Shelly puzzling about how to get the wheelchair out.
She didn’t want to risk pushing it down the buckled ramp. The hotel manager arrived to help and called the fire brigade.
Full time mum Shelly, who campaigns on disability issues, said: “I didn’t want to risk pushing the wheelchair down a buckled ramp.
“My daughter took Noah inside and went to fetch the hotel manager who called the fire brigade.
“People need to know when they are calling a taxi that they need to check if the ramp can take a wheelchair"
“I want to raise awareness that this is something that can happen.”
She added: “If it started tipping with him in it then I wouldn’t be able to personally save him from tipping. I’m not going to put my son at risk.”
Noah is partially paralysed. He has spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
A spokesperson for the London Taxi Company said: “We are sorry to hear about this incident and our first thoughts are with Noah and his family and we regret any distress caused.
“We have already launched our own investigation and while we don’t know the full details we are committed to working with all the relevant authorities to ensure lessons are learned.
“The London Taxi Company remains absolutely committed to supporting the provision of high quality, safe and fully accessible transportation services that support a full range of disability needs.”
source:
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/f ... t-11275610
Login
Register
FAQ
