An 18‑year‑old woman, Maddie Haining, says she was kicked out of a Manchester nightclub because she uses a wheelchair. She describes the incident as embarrassing, infuriating, and discriminatory.
She had already been inside the venue for a few minutes when staff told her she had to leave because she was a “safety risk”—first without explanation, then later claiming she was a “fire risk.”
Security helped Maddie into the club, although at first, they insisted there was nothing wrong.
After her friend went to buy a drink, security returned and apologetically said they had been told to remove her.
The manager, according to Maddie, was “really, really rude” and refused to explain the decision.
Maddie showed staff the Equality Act 2010 on her phone, which states that wheelchair users cannot be excluded based on evacuation concerns—venues must have inclusive evacuation plans.
She says the manager dismissed this and reiterated the same line without engaging.
Maddie eventually left but asked for staff details so she could file a complaint.
According to the club, an internal inquiry is underway.
Following Maddie’s allegation, Manchester City Council is also investigating the event.
Under the Equality Act 2010, venues must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. That includes:
Ensuring access
Providing ramps or support where practical
Having evacuation plans that include wheelchair users
Removing someone because they use a wheelchair can be considered disability discrimination.
This case highlights:
- How often must disabled people advocate for their rights
- How poorly some venues understand their legal obligations
- The emotional toll of being singled out in public spaces
- The gap between written equality law and real‑world practice
Maddie’s frustration is evident: she knew her rights, she showed the law, and she was still ignored. The embarrassment of being escorted out—after already being allowed in—adds to the sense of unfairness.
This isn’t just about one night out. It’s about disabled people being treated as pests to remove rather than customers to accommodate.
I’m sure that many people have their views on this, but before you do, think about how anybody can go from having excellent health to having a serious disability, and this is discrimination at its finest, and the council should take away their license until they address this issue. I’m glad that she called them out. It’s 2026, not 1826, and they should be inclusive and know better.
I myself am a wheelchair user, and clubs should be wheelchair friendly. In fact, everywhere should be wheelchair friendly and accessible, and if they are not, they should be. Not that I would be seen in a club at my age, but I do like comedy nights, but usually they are not accessible.
The UK is a joke when it comes to accessibility, even down to WC admission. Cafe tables are poorly designed, and even most disabled toilets are too small for a wheelchair, and are badly designed. These new homes they are building are not designed with wheelchairs in mind, because they are building rabbit hutches. Suddenly, humans have become an experiment.
According to the legislation, all establishments must be able to accommodate wheelchair users; if they are unable to do so, they must close until they can.
This was clearly a gay bar, which is supposed to be inclusive, but evidently, this bar isn’t inclusive because if it had been, she would have been allowed to stay.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 