A disabled dad has hit out at college bosses for refusing him access to a toilet after dropping off his student daughter for her lessons. Philip Davies, 63, has a spinal injury and was suffering from a painful kidney stone on December 15 when he arrived at Trafford College's Manchester Road, Altrincham campus.
After arriving with his 17-year-old daughter, he parked outside the building. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "Because of my kidney stone, I need to go to the toilet very frequently. On this day, I felt the need to go, so after my daughter went on her way to her classes, I asked the receptionist if I could use the toilet which I could see behind the barrier, just a few yards away from where she was sitting.
"I had anticipated there may be an issue with this, so after she said she would ask the security staff, I warned her that I was recording the conversation."
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Mr Davies, who lives in Bowdon, said that when the security worker emerged he denied him access to the toilet.
On the recording, heard by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an argument then ensues about whether or not Mr Davies has the right to use the toilet. He can be heard telling the security guard that he is disabled and that his daughter is a student at the school. But, the guard tells Mr Davies the toilets are 'not open to the public' and he cannot use them.
After a discussion between the two, the guard can be heard on the recording calling his manager who speaks to Mr Davies. On the recording, Mr Davies can be heard saying: "I dropped my daughter off here. I'm a disabled person with problems. I've got a kidney stone, I need to use a toilet. This gentleman says you don't have any public toilets."
However, the manager told Mr Davies he could not use the toilet facilities in the college, adding: "All our toilet facilities are behind barriers."
Mr Davies claims the college's stance is in contravention of laws relating to discrimination against disabled parents of schoolchildren and students. The Government website says: "Schools, colleges and universities have a duty to parents with disabilities to let them have reasonable access to services related to the education of their child or children. This is to make sure parents with disabilities can be fully involved in their child's education."
It goes on: "Disability discrimination legislation covers many areas of everyday life, including education and access to goods and services. Many services provided by a school do not relate directly to your child's education, but are considered a 'service to the public' under the law.
"Your child's school should make 'reasonable adjustments' to procedures and policies or provide you with aids to help you access their services, like putting information in accessible formats. They must not refuse to provide a service, or provide a lesser service, to you as a parent with disabilities."
In response to Mr Davies's complaints, a college spokesperson said: "As an educational institution the safeguarding of children and young people is our primary responsibility. Part of this responsibility means a necessary restricted access to the college campus for members of the public and non-authorised visitors.
"We would like to offer Mr Davies the opportunity to contact the college directly via the college complaints procedure available on our website should he wish to facilitate any further discussions and we apologise for any mis-understanding that may have occurred."
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