'I FELT HUMILIATED' Student with cerebral palsy left in tears when she was denied entry to London nightclub – which said she should have flagged up her disability earlier
'I FELT HUMILIATED'
Student with cerebral palsy left in tears when she was denied entry to London nightclub – which said she should have flagged up her disability earlier
The teenager uses walking sticks to aid her movement
A STUDENT with cerebral palsy was left in tears and “humiliated” after a London nightclub turned her away over safety fears due to her disability.
Katouche Goll was refused entry by bouncers at Video Visions Bar in Kingsland Road, Dalston on Friday night.
She was born with cerebral palsy and uses walking sticks to aid her movement
The boss of the nightclub said she should have informed them of her condition before arriving and that the venue had had guest list correspondence with her earlier in the day where she did not mention her disability, but the 19-year-old said she called ahead hours earlier and did not get through to anyone.
The student at SOAS was born with cerebral palsy and needs to use walking sticks.
She told the Evening Standard: “I did call ahead but got no reply. I’ve had this disability my whole life so I know what to do when going to places.
WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?
Cerebral palsy is the general term for a number of neurological conditions that affect movement and co-ordination.
Neurological conditions are caused by problems in the brain and nervous system.
Specifically, cerebral palsy is caused by a problem in the parts of the brain responsible for controlling muscles. The condition can occur if the brain develops abnormally or is damaged before, during or shortly after birth.
The main symptoms include muscle stiffness or floppiness, muscles weakness, random and uncontrolled body movements, balance and co-ordination problems.
“I often phone ahead and funnily enough was in another club in Dalston the night before where the bouncers were wonderful with assisting me.
“When it happened I was very upset. It is very strange to be turned away from a nightclub on those grounds. I felt humiliated.
“I wanted to draw attention to it because I don’t think people should feel comfortable going to places that not everyone can go to.
“I live an active life, I like going out and meeting my friends and although I obviously won’t go back to Visions it won’t affect me in the future.
“We have the Paralympics on now which is great and people should be inspired yet we still get instances where I am turned away from a nightclub.
“In terms of our daily society we have a long way to go.”
She posted about her experience on Twitter which lead to an outpouring of support, some mixed reactions and the emergence of the hashtag #boycotvisions.
Gianno Parris, manager of Visions Video Bar, said: “Safety is the magic word that rests on the mind of every well ran licensed venue. Especially in times like these where London’s nightlife is under attack.
The basement club is nestled between two larger venues and is seen is just a door from the outside
“If someone has a disability which inhibits their movement or the movement of those in close proximity, it’s important that we are notified in advance so that we can make adequate preparations and where possible nullify any hazards.
“Unfortunately in the early hours of Saturday, Katouche Goll turned up at the venue without notifying us.
“Our security considered whether we could make an exception for her, but after observing her navigate the pavement and taking into consideration the capacity of the venue at time, potential alcohol consumption and the steep staircase leading down into the basement, it was considered too great a safety risk for all in attendance including her.”
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