Accessible space award winner blocked from stage

A disability campaigner has spoken of her frustration after she could not go on stage to receive an award after "reasonable adjustment was not made" for her wheelchair.

Julie Fernandez, an access coordinator at Peterborough Presents, was recognised at the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce Awards for her work making workspaces inclusive and accessible.

However, she said she felt disappointed and embarrassed when she could not collect the accolade in her wheelchair on Thursday and said more work and education is needed.

Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce CEO Charlotte Horobin said: "We are disappointed that on this occasion we were unable to meet the standard Ms Fernandez rightly expected. We recognise there is more we can do."

The awards recognised people's contributions in the workplace, community, and environment, and marked 100 years of the Chamber of Commerce - a body that supports and connects groups across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Fernandez said accessibility had not been given enough consideration at the event.

"It was a wonderful celebration, but access was sadly missed," she said.

"There was also a British Sign Language user at the event, and no interpreter or live captioning was provided.

"You can't say any more, 'we didn't know if you were coming'. That's no longer an excuse.

"I want organisations to recognise the value of disabled people, both as customers and contributors, and make accessibility a priority."

She said installing a ramp on the stage was not a question about difficulty but a question of attitude and intent.

"If a venue can't accommodate a ramp, then another venue should be chosen - otherwise you might as well put a poster up saying disabled people not welcome," she added.

Sarah Hawthorne, from Peterborough Presents, who nominated Fernandez for the award, said she was "sad but not surprised" by what happened.

"The disappointment is that, by not allowing Julie to go up on the stage, she wasn't able to have her moment and be properly celebrated," she added.

"It makes people feel like they're a second thought, that they're not important enough to make those changes [for]. While it wasn't intentional, the outcome was that she was excluded."

She added that Peterborough Presents and Fernandez wanted to work with the Chamber and other organisations to help make future events more inclusive.

Horobin added: "Every effort was made ahead of the event to enable full access to the stage. Unfortunately, it was not possible to safely adapt the stage within Peterborough Cathedral due to the constraints of the setting.

"We were aware of Ms Fernandez's requirements in advance and made the following arrangements: a complimentary invitation was extended to her carer, who would collect the award on her behalf alongside others in the same category, and Ms Fernandez was seated to ensure easy access throughout the evening."

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