‘I was kicked out of bar because of my wheelchair’
Maddie Haining Removed from Bar Over Wheelchair Use
Incident Sparks Discussion on Disability Access
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 being labeled a safety risk due to her wheelchair. The event unfolded on Saturday night, when she and a companion entered the venue but were swiftly removed within minutes.
“It’s unfair to eject someone from a bar simply because they use a wheelchair or stand out as different,” Maddie said, reflecting on the ordeal as “embarrassing and infuriating.”
She shared a video on Instagram capturing the exchange, emphasizing that the club’s decision seemed arbitrary. Prior to the incident, Maddie and her friend had visited several other bars in the city that evening without issue. Security staff had even assisted in moving her wheelchair into the venue, initially assuring her there was no problem.
When her friend left to get a drink, security returned and informed Maddie they had to ask her to leave. She requested to speak with the manager, who was described as “horribly rude” throughout the interaction. Maddie questioned how her wheelchair posed a safety risk, noting that the staff had allowed her entry without objection earlier.
“If I was a safety risk, they wouldn’t have let me in in the first place,” she said. “They wouldn’t explain why, and then the story changed to that I was a fire risk.”
To challenge the decision, Maddie displayed the 2010 Equality Act on her phone, pointing out that wheelchair users cannot be excluded based on fire risks without proper evacuation plans. She insisted the action was discriminatory, but the manager dismissed her argument, repeating his stance without acknowledging the law.
Club Tropicana stated an investigation is ongoing and that it “would be inappropriate to comment further” at this stage. The club confirmed it was made aware of the incident but not directly contacted by Maddie. Manchester City Council is also reviewing the situation following her complaint to its licensing committee.
Maddie mentioned the manager threatened to assign any fines the venue incurred to her. Despite this, she decided to leave after obtaining staff names and contact details for her complaint. “Being disabled for nearly five years, I’ve learned my rights,” she added, highlighting the frustration of facing discrimination in public spaces.
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