Woman in wheelchair says indoor playland discriminated against her
A 22-year-old Summerside woman says she feels discriminated against after her experience at an indoor playland.
Emma Pollock has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. When she went to a young cousin's birthday party at Panda Fun in Charlottetown on June 15, she said she was shocked with how she was treated.
"The gentleman who worked there came up to us and said 'No. No wheelchairs'" said Pollock.
She said she didn't know what to say, as she was hoping to celebrate the birthday with family.
"My mom just kept saying, 'Yes, she is going in'" said Pollock.
She said staff let her in but told her to stay in the party room at the back — that room is away from the main play area.
"I felt very excluded. I felt discriminated against," she said.
Pollock said she still can't believe what happened.
'Everybody should be welcome'
Sharon Pollock, Emma's mom, gets emotional when she talks about it.
"It's heartbreaking," said Sharon, with tears in her eyes.
She said she had to move a barrier to help her daughter get to the birthday party room but once there, her daughter felt like she couldn't leave.
"He said she had to stay in the back room," said Sharon. She said they're sharing their story because they don't want to see it happen to anyone else.
"Everybody should be welcome," she said.
'I am very, very sad to hear that'
Panda Fun's owner, Victor Zhong, says the business tries to be fair to all customers, while keeping the indoor play area safe.
Zhong said he was sorry to hear the Pollocks felt they were discriminated against.
"I'm very, very sad to hear that," he said.
He said people in wheelchairs do not have to stay isolated in the birthday party room and are welcome to watch outside the play area.
Zhong said perhaps a language barrier prevented good communication.
"We do want [to] treat all customers without discrimination," he said.
Zhong said he has spoken to staff about how to speak more politely and improve communication about the issue.
"We will try and improve ourselves," he said.
Balance between safety and accessibility
Zhong said it's too risky to allow wheelchairs into the main play area as children are often running, and it can get busy when birthday parties are happening.
"It is very dangerous, that area is a soft play area," he said.
"For wheelchairs, it's big and there are some parts that are very hard, it's very easy for kids to get hurt," he said, adding, however, that if they can leave their chair they can go into the main play area.
Zhong said he believes other indoor playlands have similar rules.
"I think all soft play parks are like this," he said.
He hopes the family will return to the business so he can apologize and make amends.
"I do hope they can come next time and we will try to communicate with them in a very, very appropriate way," said Zhong.
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