GURUGRAM: A woman who uses a wheelchair complained Saturday that she was denied entry into a popular restaurant in Gurgaon following which its management has apologised saying that they would look into the matter and take action accordingly.
The woman, Srishti, took to Twitter and said that she had gone to the restaurant Raasta on Friday with friends and family, only to be informed by the staff that her wheelchair “can’t go inside”.
We thought it was an accessibility issue, but it wasn’t. We told him that we’d manage, just book us a table. What he said next left all of us shocked for a while,” the tweet said.
“He told us pointing towards me that ‘andar customers disturb hojaynge’ (the customers will get disturbed) and denied us entry, with so much of ease,” she added.
Srishti went on to say that the staff asked them to get a table outside. “The outside seating was ridiculous. It was getting cold. And I can’t sit out in cold for long because my body gets spastic. It’s literally unsafe for me.”
The restaurant responded by expressing their regret over the incident and issued a statement on social media. “We stand for inclusivity and would never want anyone to feel singled out for any reason. As a part of our efforts we have already reached out to the aggrieved patron to personally apologies to them,” it said.
“We will also be taking steps internally to heighten sensitivity and empathy for our staff to ensure this never happens again,” it added.
Goumtesh Singh, founder-partner at Raasta, also responded to her tweets. He wrote: “I am personally looking into the incident. Let me start by apologising on behalf of entire team for any bad experience that you may have had. Please rest assured if any of our members is found in the wrong, appropriate action will be taken against them.”
A staffer at the restaurant said Saturday that he had offered them seating outside since there was a dance floor inside and because of the rush. On being asked if the restaurant was wheelchair-friendly, he replied that it wasn’t as it had steps. “They didn’t want to sit outside,” he added.
The Twitter account of Gurgaon police has also responded to Srishti’s tweets, seeking her contact details for further action.
