As standards in any workplace can vary greatly, there can be huge differences in how well a company or organisation accommodates employees with mobility needs.

Not only regarding accessibility for employees and the right facilities but also how each individual is treated at the place where they work.

When new commercial buildings are designed and constructed, there is often more thought put into accommodating people with disabilities, this may not always be the case as there might be some types of jobs and environments where it simply wont be practical or expected that a person with a disability would be working in certain types of employment.

But if a company knows that they can and will employ people with a disability then they are usually going to be prepared for this, especially if the building is new.

Some companies will not take this into consideration though and where they could actually employ a disabled person they may put less time than they could do into making their workplace mobility friendly.

Beyond a workplace being suitable for a person with mobility needs to get around, there also needs to be understanding within a company by the employers and the other employees, no matter how large or small the company.

For an individual with mobility needs to feel comfortable and unobstructed at the place where they work, it has to go beyond easy access to the building and a method of moving between any floors that there may be.

If employers have a good understanding of how they can provide an environment suitable for all and employees understand how to accommodate each other, whether disabled or not, then it can make for a great workplace environment that can flow and be very efficient through some careful planning.

If you are someone who although having mobility needs, has to or chooses to attend your local leisure centre, how do you feel regarding their accessibility for people with disabilities?

Apart from the obvious expectations that people have about accessibility to public places like ramps etc.

As some leisure centres and gyms may be much newer than others, it can vary on how well the layout of a building was planned to accommodate people with mobility needs.

For those of you that do make use of the facilities at your local leisure centre, do you feel that you can access everything that you want to access easily enough or do you feel that improvements could be made?

Maybe the leisure centre facilities in your area are hardly accommodating of your disabilities at all.

Some gymnasiums can have plenty of variation and a wide range of machines and weights in place but the floor layout may be less than ideal for an individual needing assistance as they move around the gym.

It’s important that all people that want to use what is on offer are able to, no matter how small the numbers may be.

Feel free to share your experiences and opinions below.

As each person is different and has a different way of looking at the world, at life and everything else compared to another person, it’s realistic to live with the outlook that you cant expect one person to be as polite or pleasant or as patient as the next person.

Equally if you encounter a less than friendly or helpful person while out and about, that does not mean that everyone will react that way to.

Some people may just be having a bad day and we’re all entitled to be a little moody from time to time but as you will most likely have experienced at some time in your life there can be people who seem to be outright rude, unhelpful and even abusive the majority of the time.

When it comes to indivuduals with disabilies and using various mobility aids, it becomes enough of a challenge for you to go through day to day life and anything that makes this a bit easier is most welcome.

If you can access shops easily and are provided with assistance and encounter helpful people within the public then this can go a long way to making you feel good and making even just the smallest things a bit easier.

While most people like and appreciate a bit of help from time to time, regardless of having a disability or not, there is a fine line between being helpful towards someone and actually being a bit annoying and more of a hindrance to them.

Some people can be over the top, almost too eager to provide help to the point where an individual with disabilities might feel embarrassed, overwhelmed or harrassed and of course it’s highly unlikely that the person offering to help you or insisting that they help you will be aware of this.

In most cases where you feel like this, the person wont be aware of how the situation feels for you and may have no idea that they are actually getting in your way more than anything, maybe they are just doing what they have been instructed to do and are slightly overdoing the “here, let me help you ” thing.

Unfortunately there are even situations where a person with disabilities might experience verbal abuse, not to say that non disabled individuals dont experience this too, but some people have being shouted at or attacked partly because of their disability.

Then theres the people who might feel that you are slowing them down in some way or getting in their way or that your mobility scooter should not be allowed or left in a particular area.

And everyone has heard of and is aware of the folk who choose to park in a spot reserved for the disabled.

What has been your experience during your interactions with the public? Have you ever found an age group more likely to complain about something regarding a person with disabilities?

Maybe you would rather be left in peace when someone seems determined to try and assist you or maybe you are always glad of the help whatever the situation and wherever you might be.

Do feel free to share your experiences, annoyances and overall opinions regarding this by commenting.