Beatrice's mediation story

“After moving to a new town, I thought it would be a good idea to go and register with my local library, so that I could lose myself in a good book every now and then, and also keep up-to-date with the journals I read regarding my old job. I was shocked to find that the entrance ramp was too steep for me to get up by myself. I was helped up the ramp by a passer-by who also wanted to use the library. However, once I was inside they needn’t have bothered – all the fictional books were on the first floor, which could only be accessed by stairs, and the door closing off the reference-book section was too heavy for me to open in my wheelchair! There was a stair-lift installed on the stairs to the fiction section, but there was a sign hung on it saying ‘out of order’, which was dated over a month ago. I couldn’t get near a book without assistance, and I felt so upset by this. The local council, it seemed to me, had not considered the needs of disabled people who wanted to access this public service at all.

I visited a local advice agency and they suggested I try mediation that may help to resolve the problem. They put me in touch with the Equalities Mediation Service who contacted the local council and set up a meeting so that I could express my concerns to them in the presence of a mediator. I was told that the mediator would not take sides or make decisions, but that they would guide the meeting and help us negotiate by helping us focus on the law.

The meeting went really well. I explained the problem and that being unable to use the library without assistance had hurt my feelings and also made me feel like a burden. The council agreed that the broken stair lift would be fixed as a matter of priority (within a week they promised), and that all the doors would have door openers installed. This would mean that people like me, using a wheelchair, would be able to access the library without having to ask anyone for help. They also promised to adjust the access ramp on the front entrance, and to make sure that the fire exits had disabled-access too. They even promised to make sure that all their staff received training on the Disability Discrimination Act, and instructed on how to operate the stair lift should anyone need help using it. They paid me £500 compensation for my ordeal. Mediation was definitely worthwhile.”