“Disabled access to U.K. stores poor”
“Disabled access to U.K. stores poor”
A new report from the British government says access for disabled people in stores in Britain is "shocking". The U.K. government visited and checked more than 30,000 shops and restaurants across the country. They found that many stores and eateries made it very difficult or impossible for disabled people to shop or eat while shopping. The survey listed many examples of how difficult it is for disabled people to go shopping. Around 20 per cent of stores had no wheelchair ramps and two-thirds of staff in shops had no training to help disabled customers. Going to the bathroom is also difficult for people in wheelchairs. Over 40% of restaurants and 30 per cent of stores have no accessible toilet.
Britain's Minister for Disabled People, Mark Harper, said it was unfair that the disabled had such problems when shopping. He said people with disabilities should be able to enjoy...shopping just like everyone else. He told reporters: "Everyone deserves to be able to go...shopping or enjoy a festive meal or drink with their friends or colleagues." He added that stores and restaurants were losing money because they did not help the disabled, saying: "This isn't just about doing what's right. Businesses are missing a trick by not doing more to tap into this market." He said: "A fifth of the British population has a disability and they and their households have a spending power of over £200 billion [$310bn]."
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
| a. | A new report on disability access is from a private charity. | T / F |
| b. | Researchers checked just under 3,000 shops in the U.K. | T / F |
| c. | Researchers found that 40% of U.K. stores had no wheelchair ramp. | T / F |
| d. | The study found that around 30% of stores had no accessible toilet. | T / F |
| e. | Britain's Minister for Disabled People said the situation was unfair. | T / F |
| f. | The minister said stores would lose money by building special toilets. | T / F |
| g. | Around 20% of British people have a disability. | T / F |
| h. | Disabled people in Britain have around $310 billion to spend. |
2. Answer the following questions to the text:
a. Who made the report on disability access in Britain?
b. How many shops and restaurants did researchers visit?
c. What percentage of stores had no wheelchair ramps?
d. What did staff at many stores and restaurants not have?
e. How many stores had no accessible toilets?
f. What position does Mark Harper hold in Britain's government?
g. What did Mark Harper say people with disabilities should be able to do?
h. What did Mr Harper say stores were losing?
i. What fraction of British people have a disability?
j. How much do disabled people in the UK have to spend?