Paru le vendredi 10 août 2012 sur CJAD

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www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10414609&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Disabled woman files human rights complaint after depanneur incident
Posted By: Richard Deschampsrdeschamps@astral.com•8/10/2012 6:00:00 AM

A 60-year-old Montreal woman who needs a four-wheel scooter to get around is going before the Quebec Human Rights Commission after being refused entry at a Couche-Tard depanneur in St. Laurent last summer.

Effy Louridas says on July 21st, 2011, she was stopping in at a Couche-Tard store in St. Laurent for some ice cream.

It was the hottest day of last summer, and she was spending the day running errands.

But the clerk refused to let her in the store with her scooter, apparently because he was concerned she would knock over some of the displays.

Louridas says, it wasn't the first time she's run into this particular clerk.

"Actually, this was the third time I was refused," Louridas says. "It was very upsetting".

And she adds, she has never had a problem with knocking over displays with her scooter.

Linda Gauthier with the disabled-rights advocacy group RAPLIQ says, Louridas is looking for $6000 in damages, but more importantly, she's looking for better measures to improve accessibility to these kinds of stores, things like modifications to the sidewalks, and store displays, and the installation of an electric door.

"We are in 2012," Gauthier says. "It's time to think that we are equal citizens, just the same."

She points out, too, the kind of disability that robs one of their mobility could happen to anyone.

"It could happen to anyone, any day, so they should think about that."

Louridas' case will be heard by the Commission on September 25th.