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An 18-year-old woman from Oldham has shared her distressing experience after being asked to leave a Manchester nightclub due to her wheelchair being deemed a safety hazard. Maddie Haining visited Club Tropicana in Manchester’s Gay Village on a Saturday evening with a friend. Despite initially being allowed entry with the assistance of security staff who helped lift her wheelchair inside, Maddie was asked to leave within minutes by a bar manager citing safety concerns.
Maddie recorded the confrontation and shared it on Instagram, expressing her frustration: “It’s not okay to be removed from bars because you are disabled and different to other people. If they can be in there then why shouldn’t we.” She explained that earlier in the night she had been to several other venues without issue. However, at Club Tropicana, security later informed her that they had been instructed to ask her to leave. When she requested to speak with the manager, she encountered rudeness and a lack of clear explanation regarding the safety concerns, which shifted from a general safety risk to being linked to fire safety.
During the exchange, Maddie referred to the 2010 Equality Act on her phone, pointing out that wheelchair users cannot be excluded on fire risk grounds as evacuation plans should accommodate all patrons. Despite her efforts to clarify that removing her would constitute discrimination, the manager did not relent and reportedly threatened to pass any fines the club received on to her. Feeling frustrated but knowing her rights, Maddie ultimately chose to leave and requested the names and contacts of staff to file a formal complaint.
Club Tropicana has acknowledged the incident, stating an internal investigation is underway but declined to comment further. Manchester City Council is also looking into the matter following Maddie’s complaint to its licensing committee. Under the Equality Act, venues must make reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility, and failing to do so or refusing entry due to disability can be viewed as discriminatory. Maddie described the experience as both embarrassing and infuriating, noting it was the first time she had faced such treatment since living with a disability for nearly five years
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