British wheelchair tennis great Lucy Shuker believes the world is moving in the right direction in making life more accessible for disabled people but she told AFP “let’s keep striving for a better tomorrow than we had yesterday”.
The 44-year-old eight-time doubles Grand Slam finalist, who is bidding for a fourth Paralympic medal in Paris, said “there’s little things that people can do that will make things that bit easier for us.”
Shuker was speaking after a steely performance on Saturday in overcoming France’s Charlotte Fairbank 6-4, 7-5, and also a hugely partisan crowd — some wearing Team Fairbank t-shirts — at a packed No 14 Court at Roland-Garros.
Shuker, who aged 21 was paralysed from the chest down in a motorbike accident just 12 days after obtaining her licence, said it was crazy that in Britain she had to ask for ramps to be attached at stations so she could get on and off trains.
There was uproar last week when legendary British Paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson had to crawl off a train because there was no-one at London’s Kings Cross station to meet her and no ramp was organised.
“It’s frustrating because unless you’re in a wheelchair, you don’t realise this, you know, to have to ask for a ramp to get off the train,” said Shuker.
“Why aren’t we in a position where it’s level access of some sort to get on and off?
“I’ve had it out in Australia where it’s really easy. They have it in the underground. They’ve created stations which have ramps.
“So to me, that’s the way that we should be going.”
Shuker, who was one of the two flagbearers for the British team at Paralympics opening ceremony, said the sad nature of things is there is an increasing urgency for things to improve.
“The world wasn’t created for people who have a disability, but we also know we’re in a world where we have to accommodate it because it’s becoming far more common,” she said.
She said statistics showed one person in Britain suffers a spinal cord injury every four hours.
“It’s amazing how many people are going to face disability at some point in their life. So you (have to) make it easy for everyone,” Shuker said.
‘Opens people’s eyes’
Shuker said the Paralympics had helped raise the profile of disabled people and also inspired positive changes for them in daily life.
“I think it showcases that people with disabilities have lives, want to live, and have great lives,” she said.
“We also want to live as independently as possible, not having to ask for help.
“Just because we’re all slightly different in one way or another, like size, shape, hair colour, one leg, two legs, whatever it is, let’s just accommodate everyone.
“Why do we need to exclude anyone? Why do we need to make it difficult for everyone, or some people?”
Shuker says “despite age, disability and adversity” she is still loving competing and her exploits have not gone unnoticed by the Royal family.
She was awarded an honour by King Charles III last year and then was caught by an eagle-eyed photographer doing a ‘pinky promise’ with the monarch’s granddaughter Princess Charlotte at Wimbledon this year.
“We just got talking about tennis and the whole family is now playing, which, you know, they’re loving,” said Shuker.
Shuker asked Princess Charlotte if they had tried wheelchair tennis.
“She said no. And I just said, pinky promise to come and play with me one day.
“You know, because you don’t have to have a disability to try the sport.
“And I think it just opens people’s eyes to see how it feels, how difficult it is.”
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