1 week Ago By SCMP Editorial
Tales of bad service experienced by disabled people are reminders of the inadequacies in fighting discrimination. A recent headline involving Paralympics gold medallist Ho Yuen-kei being denied entry to a restaurant shows there are still many barriers for the disabled in Hong Kong society. The boccia champion said a staff member at Thai restaurant Ayutthaya in Causeway Bay had refused to let her in because “there was no space for a wheelchair”.
The employee reportedly insisted that the wheelchair would “block the way for other diners”, even though the venue still had a lot of room, according to Ho. The restaurant later apologised and promised to improve training for staff and designate convenient seats for wheelchair users. Such an incident would not have happened had businesses and service providers been more sensitive towards the needs and rights of the disabled.
In the case of the prominent athlete, her complaint published on social media was quickly followed up by the restaurant. But others who have faced a similar experience probably received no apology or follow-up actions from the party concerned..
