|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| FEATURES | BY KATE SHERRATT |
 Kayleigh Welburn |
Her condition is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is of the same family as the common wart or verruca. Tiny growths in her lungs, called papillomas, make it difficult for Kayleigh to breathe. She started needing oxygen at night three years ago, and for the last 18 months has been using it all the time. Kayleigh’s mother Karen Welburn said: “The disease has got worse as she’s got older. As her lungs have become weaker she’s begun to need oxygen and her mobility has hugely decreased to the point where she can’t walk outdoors at all and needs an electric wheelchair.” Kayleigh makes regular trips to Great Ormond Street Hospital to have the growths removed by laser surgery under general anaesthetic. At present, she has the surgery every four weeks, often having to take the next week off school. When she is not studying for her five GCSEs at South Camden Community School, Kayleigh likes to go out with her family and friends, looking around the shops in Camden or going to a restaurant. But these visits can often end in frustration. Ms Welburn said: “Kayleigh loves living in Camden, but she simply can’t get into a lot of the shops. Places like the Odeon Cinema on Parkway are great. They have a lift and a designated seating area, which means that it’s always hassle free. “But even in a shop, like Woolworths which is supposedly accessible, there are often so many hazards, like goods stacked in the aisles, that it makes it impossible to get around. “We have to map our day around the few places we know we can eat or go for coffee at and which have accessible toilet facilities. It’s a major operation.” A trip to Chicco’s pizzeria, in Camden High Street, ended in disappointment for Kayleigh when she could not negotiate the steep step up to the restaurant. She said: “I was with my social worker, who tried to push my chair through the door, but it didn’t work because it’s so heavy. “I felt disappointed, like the staff couldn’t be bothered to help. “I’m sure that many disabled people would agree that one of the main difficulties they have is getting around – and places not having ramps.” Michael Chicco, owner of Chicco’s pizzeria, said: “We are here to look after customers to make them enjoy themselves. We have some regular disabled customers and I am glad to help them into the shop. “At present, we wouldn’t put a ramp in because we don’t get that many disabled customers. “No one in Camden has a ramp. If everyone in Camden had a ramp and I didn’t then I’d probably feel guilty.” From October 2004, a change in the law will help people like Kayleigh to get access to services that others enjoy without a second thought. A spokeswoman for the Disability Rights Commission said: “From next year, the change in the law will mean that businesses have to make sure that people with disabilities can use their services. Businesses should get going now and stay ahead of the competition. “Making businesses welcoming to disabled people will make customer sense and simple things like a grab raid cost as little as a few pence.” Miss Welburn said: “Kayleigh has the right to browse in the shops like the rest of us do.” |
|