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Scaling Everest with his Wheelchair
"I am a person," says Aaron Shelbourne. He is entitled to enjoy a meal at a restaurant just like anyone else. Queen West restaurant, Everest, banned Aaron Shelbourne, in March of this year because he is disabled and requires a wheelchair. Shelbourne went to Everest Restaurant & Lounge with one of his assistants. He has Cerebral Palsy and uses Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC). That means Shelbourne uses his eyes to communicate with the facilitation of an assistant. At some point during his visit to Everest, Shelbourne needed to use the restroom facilities. Unlike far too many Toronto restaurants, Everest, has a bathroom that is somewhat accessible to someone who uses a wheelchair. Many Toronto restaurants have washrooms that are located up or down a flight of stairs making them inaccessible to the disabled. Unfortunately and quite by accident, Shelbourne's wheelchair nicked the bathroom door at Everest.
After the twosome had paid for their meal, Everest's Manager Karma Sanchok took Shelbourne's communication assistant aside and banned both of them from the restaurant. They were told that that Everest had recently been renovated and wheelchairs aren't welcome because they cause damage. "I am a person," says Mr. Shelbourne. "The worker at the restaurant didn't even come to tell me all of this herself but went to my assistant instead. I was angry because I am a human being and I have rights." Shortly after the incident, on March 28th, Aaron Shelbourne returned to the restaurant but this time he came with supporters from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and DAMN2025. Shelbourne entered Everest asking to speak with restaurant manager Karma Sanchok who had previously told him they don't serve people who use wheelchairs. All Aaron Shelbourne wanted was a public apology from Karma Sanchok and assurances that this kind of blatant discrimination would not continue. Sanchok refused to speak with Shelbourne. She would only, like when the incident happened, speak to his non-wheelchair-using supporters. Sanchok called the police and they forced Shelbourne and the protestors to leave. Undeterred Shelbourne and a larger group of supporters, returned to Everest, along with members of the media. Karma Sanchok quickly apologized for the incident and offered a free meal to Aaron Shelbourne and his companion. Success for Aaron Shelbourne and kudos to him for standing up for the rights of the disabled anywhere. Too bad it took two protests and the glare of the media spotlight before Karma Sanchok revoked her anti-the-disabled policy at Everest. |
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