Disabled man was thrown out of the Isaac Newton Centre for talking to the Grantham Journal
Kurt Mathews by the lift to the library. 295C
A DISABLED man was left ‘wishing his days away’ after he lost access to the library when the lift at the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre broke down.
Kurt Matthews, of Mallard Court, Grantham, was telling his story to the Journal when we were asked to leave the area by Morrisons’ security guards.
Moving towards the doors Kurt was then told to ‘hurry up’ and get out of the centre as he was ‘not going fast enough’.
Kurt only wanted to have his voice heard after waiting for days for his access to the library to be restored by the centre owners, Morrisons.
He is having his house made more accessible and in the meantime he cannot move around the property without someone pushing his wheelchair. Everyday when his family go to work Kurt, 27, is dropped off at the library where he can use a larger wheelchair to manoeuvre himself. But recently the lift broke.
He said: “I had lost my link to the library. They offered to push me up the car ramp outside but it’s too steep for my chair and I’d be going up against the cars.”
Without another option Kurt was left in the shopping centre all day with nothing to do and not enough money to sit in a coffee shop. He said: “I just had to sit and watch the clock and wish the day away.”
After almost a week the lift was fixed but Kurt said it is not the first time that he has lost access to the library.
He said: “I wonder how long it will be working this time. Every now and then it crashes because it’s such an old lift.”
Head of Libraries and Heritage at Lincolnshire County Council Jonathan Platt said: “We are aware of the recent problems with the lift and the inconvenience this causes some of our customers. Hopefully, Morrisons will soon find a permanent solution.”
Morrisons did not comment.
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Friday 24 May 2013
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