Woman in wheelchair says indoor playland discriminated against her

A 22-year-old Summerside woman says she feels discriminated against after her experience at an indoor playland.

Emma Pollockhas spinabifida and uses a wheelchair.When shewent toa young cousin's birthday party at Panda Fun in Charlottetown on June 15, she said she was shocked with how she was treated.

"The gentleman who worked there came up to us and said'No.No wheelchairs'" said Pollock.

She said she didn't know what to say, as she was hoping to celebrate the birthday with family.

"My mom just kept saying,'Yes, she is going in'" said Pollock.

She said staff let her in buttold herto stay in the party room at the back that room is away from the main play area.

"I felt very excluded.I felt discriminated against," she said.

Pollock said shestill can't believe what happened.

'Everybody should be welcome'

Sharon Pollock, Emma's mom, gets emotional when she talks about it.

"It's heartbreaking," said Sharon, with tears in her eyes.

She said she had to move a barrier to help her daughter getto the birthday party room but once there, her daughter felt like she couldn't leave.

"He said she had to stay in the back room," said Sharon. She saidthey're sharing their story because they don'twant to see it happen to anyone else.

"Everybody should be welcome," she said.

'I am very, very sad to hear that'

Panda Fun's owner,Victor Zhong, says the business tries to be fair to all customers, while keeping the indoor play area safe.

Zhong said he was sorry to hearthe Pollocks felt they were discriminated against.

"I'm very, very sad to hear that," he said.

He said people in wheelchairs do not have to stay isolated in the birthday party room andare welcome to watch outside the play area.

Zhongsaid perhaps a language barrier prevented good communication.

"We do want [to] treat all customers without discrimination," he said.

Zhong said he has spoken to staff about how to speak more politely andimprove communication about the issue.

"We will try and improve ourselves," he said.

Balance between safety and accessibility

Zhong said it's toorisky to allow wheelchairs into the main play area as children are often running, and it can getbusy when birthday parties are happening.

"It is very dangerous, that area is a soft play area," he said.

"For wheelchairs, it's big and there are some parts that are very hard, it's very easy for kids to get hurt," he said, adding, however, that ifthey can leave theirchairthey can go into the main play area.

Zhong said he believes other indoor playlands have similar rules.

"I think all soft play parks are like this," he said.

He hopes the family will return to the business so he can apologize and make amends.

"I do hope they can come next time and we will try to communicate with them in a very, very appropriate way," said Zhong.

More P.E.I. news: