9:10am Wednesday 31st October 2007
By Craig Manning
THREE disabled teenagers from Wirral who were offered purpose-built accommodation have had it taken from them at the last minute.
Jay Langton, Lee Caldicot and Liam Jones currently live in Rosclare House, Noctorum and were given the go-ahead to move into the property in Spital Road, Spital early this year.
The paperwork was completed and the move due to take place in November.
But in October, its owner Wirral Methodist Housing Association, told their parents that they cannot move in because the facilities are unsuitable for non-dependent wheelchair users.
It means that Jay, aged 18, from Upton and who suffers from growth retardation, sub-aortic stenosis, microcephalus and severe scoliosis; Lee, 19, from Greasby who is physically and mentally disabled and uses a wheelchair full-time, and Liam, 17, from Wallasey, who suffers from severe learning disabilities and epilepsy, have nowhere to go. They are not all dependent on wheelchairs.
Jay's devasted mum Glenys has accused the WMHA of discrim-ination against non-wheelchair users and told the Globe that the boys face a bleak future.
"At the moment we haven't got a clue where the boys are going to go."
WMHA's chief executive Alun Hughes told the Globe: "When the association received details about the proposed clients, it was clear that they did not fully meet the criteria around which we had planned for the bungalow which was particularly intended for wheelchair-dependent users.
"We felt the young men's needs would not be met satisfactorily with the design which we had created at that particular site.
"It is disappointing, but rather than risk putting them put into a position which might fail, we have instead offered to work towards finding a solution better suited."
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