Wheelchair row hits centre

By Rebecca Fraser
AN elderly pensioner has hit out at Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre for failing to provide wheelchairs to their shoppers.
Allan Jackson, 83, went to the shopping centre with his daughter last week to do some Christmas shopping and was told by centre management that they no longer provided wheelchairs.
“The lass in the office said she did not know why they did not have them any more and that was kind of the finish of that,” Mr Jackson said.
“We have never had any trouble there before when getting a wheelchair but this was a real inconvenience.
“It is not good for business if they do not have them for their shoppers,” he said.
The resident of Cascades Nursing Home and Hostel in Narre Warren said they had to drive back to his home for his chair before returning to the shopping centre.
“We had to go back and get the chair and then we tried to go to Fountain Gate but could not get a park so then we went back to Endeavour Hills.
“It was one and a half hours of pure mucking around,” she said.
Mr Jackson’s daughter Robyn Atwell said it was far more convenient to have wheelchairs provided at the shopping centre and she was disappointed that the service was no longer available.
“He (Allan) does have a wheelchair at home but it is very heavy for me to lift into and out of the boot of the car.
“We do go to Endeavour Hills a fair bit and it was a real pain and was very inconvenient for us,” she said.
Mrs Atwell said the situation had caused unnecessary stress. “He (Allan) likes to still do his own thing and wanted to do his Christmas shopping,” she said.
“Endeavour Hills is a good size for him as there is not the hustle and bustle of a big shopping centre.
“He has a lot of health problems and he can walk with a walker but not a long distance.
“I thought it was a bit unbelievable,” she said.
A spokeswoman for Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre said centre management had been forced to stop its previous practice of hiring out wheelchairs due to public safety concerns.
“This follows a number of incidents where people failed to use the wheelchairs in the proper manner and exposed the centre owners to liability.
“Whilst we regret any inconvenience, wheelchairs remain available for hire at the pharmacy in the centre,” she said.