Laura McCarthy claims the Mary Valley Rattler is not wheelchair friendly

The Mary Valley Rattler has responded to ‘disappointing’ claims the century-old carriages and services aren’t disability friendly after a tourist flagged concerns.

Laura McCarthy was visiting Gympie on a holiday this week, but was devastated to find the Mary Valley Rattler was not as wheelchair accessible as she hoped. Photo: Facebook.

A wheelchair-bound woman from Mackay says change is needed on the Mary Valley Rattler to better help people with disabilities.

Laura McCarthy was visiting Gympie for a holiday this week and decided to take a trip on the restored heritage steam train.

Before booking a ticket, she called to confirm the facilities were wheelchair accessible but was shocked to be told that as staff could not assist getting her on and off the train, she would need to pay for an extra ticket for a carer to accompany her.

“Be kind always”: Laura McCarthy said this was her mantra, after she felt discriminated against for her wheelchair by the Mary Valley Rattler. Photo: Facebook.

“That was when I found they wanted to charge me double the fare, and that was when I found out the carriage that is accessible doesn’t have the same facilities as the other carriages but there was no discounts on the ticket,” she said.

Ms McCarthy has mobility issues and cannot walk far independently, mostly relying on a wheelchair.

The Mary Valley Rattler is a restored steam train that draws dozens of tourists to the Gympie region every year.

She said she had never come across a service where she was disadvantaged because of her disability.

“I was also told the wheelchair accessible carriage does not have toilets,” she said.

“They said ‘there are toilets on the other carriages’, but you can’t get to them if you’re in a wheelchair.”

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Ms McCarthy was encouraged by friends to contact the Australian Federal Human Rights Commission.

“They told me … that you cannot provide a lesser service to someone with a disability, and you also can’t charge double for someone who has a disability,” she said.

Laura McCarthy was encouraged to contact the Australian Federal Human Rights Commision after her experience with the Mary Valley Rattler. Photo: Facebook.

The commission then contacted the Mary Valley Rattler about Ms McCarthy’s complaints, but Ms McCarthy claims she was told the Rattler “saw no reason to discontinue those practices”.

While she cannot afford to take the matter to court, she’s has gotten in touch with disability advocacy group Basic Rights Queensland.

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“I am devastated and disappointed in 2021, that people with a disability are still being treated so poorly,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Mary Valley Rattler said they were disappointed to hear the feedback from Ms McCarthy.

“It has to be remembered that our carriages are close to 100 years old, so we have invested heavily in retro-fitting one carriage to be able to cater for wheelchair bound passengers.”

They said the All-Access carriage was launched a year ago to provide special facilities for wheelchair and other assisted-access passengers, and has four spots for wheelchairs.

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“Generally our wheelchair-bound passengers come with a carer or companion if they require assistance.

“Our team really strives to look after special needs but given the current Covid circumstances and our current insurance policies, there is a limit to what our volunteers and staffers can assist with.”

They said they will review the case to ascertain if there’s anything they could have done better.