Liverpool student campaigns for more accessible hotel rooms

A student with cerebral palsy is campaigning for more accessible hotel rooms.

Harin Ellis is 20 and from Garston in Liverpool and he uses a wheelchair to get around.

His condition means he has to sleep on a profiling bed, which is an adjustable bed designed for medical use. He uses a hoist to move into it from his chair.

Describing himself as an 'adventurous' who enjoys going to concerts, Harin says the lack of accessibility in hotel rooms across the country restricts him from going too far from Liverpool, as he can't stay overnight.

Harin said: " If I were to see a concert in Manchester, I would have to drive back on the same day because there’s no wheelchair-friendly hotel that would suit my needs.

"I went to see a sign along concert in Birmingham but sadly, because of a lack of hotel access, I had to drive home on the same day. I felt sad because I’ve made a lot of friends who live down south and they went to see that show, but I didn’t get much time to spend with them because I had to drive home to Liverpool on the same day."

To ensure people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else, Harin has launched a petition calling for hotels to be fully accessible. He wants every hotel to have at least one room with a profiling bed and a ceiling hoist.

He said: "People with my needs currently don’t have equality in the leisure and tourism sector. From my experience, I don’t feel like it’s that hard to change because things like that are quite easy to get."

"This would really change my life and others facing similar problems, it would mean that I would not have to worry about the hotel being accessible for me and would give me more peace of mind and freedom to do things that I wanted to do."

Harin has appealed for support for his petition to make a difference - you can view it here.