A deal to bring to an end the scandal of the Norwich disability centre, which cannot be accessed by people in wheelchairs, has fallen through eight months after the government promised action.
By Annabelle Dickson for EDP24
Almost three years after the first protests highlighted the plight of disabled people, which at one point saw people with limited mobility sent a map and told to travel to Ipswich, the Department for Work and Pensions said a ground floor solution had still not been found.
Mark Harrison, a campaigner for the charity Equal Lives, said the government was putting the needs of a private company before the needs of disabled people. He said: “How can you have an assessment centre for disabled people that isn’t accessible for disabled people? In the 21st century, you can’t make this up, can you?” Mike Penning, the then minister for disabled people, finally admitted the situation was “wholly unacceptable” last June, and said he would be taking action to leave St Mary’s House in Duke Street as soon as possible.
His successor Mark Harper sent a letter to Norwich South MP Simon Wright in January saying he expected there would be ground floor premises available at the end of last month.
But a DWP spokesman has now said: “Unfortunately and due to circumstances outside our control the deal for our preferred ground floor location fell through.”
She said that the government was looking at a number of other options and would make a decision as soon as it could.
“People who are unable to access the second floor people will continue to be offered an assessment elsewhere or if necessary a home visit,” she added.
Marion Fallon, who had to travel to Ipswich for her assessment last July, said she feared she would have to be re-assessed again a year on and would have to travel to Ipswich for an assessment again.
The 53-year-old, who is in constant pain and can only walk slowly with a stick, was told to go by public transport to the Suffolk county town last year, because the second floor Norwich assessment centre cannot be used by people with walking difficulties.
