Commuters shout and swear at her and a personal assistant once or twice a week because they have to give up their seats.
Alice is a wheelchair user with a neuromuscular impairment.
Ms Maynard told the Times she believes the harassment is getting worse with some people 'just hostile and prejudiced.'
In one case, a commuting father with his daughter who appeared to be five years old, screamed at her: 'Get the f*** out of here.'
New data from Scope reveals that almost 50% of those with disabilities face discrimination on their way to and from work.
31% of respondents claim there was discrimination by bus drivers and 25% said the say about train staff.
Of course, the ever increasing spitefulness of popular culture and the campaign by the conservative media against people on disability benefits both play a large part in forming these hateful attitudes.
Commenting on the Daily Mail website, "My Dyson's broke again" says:
Maybe the people dishing out the abuse are the same ones who post comments on DM whenever there is an article about incapacity benefits.167 people recommended this comment, a welcome sign.
You know the comments I'm referring to, "they're not disabled, they're putting it on, they just limp a bit whenever they have an assessment and get thousands in benefits. Why should they get benefits just because they're disabled.........."
That sort of thing.
Now I think about it, it's probably DM's reporting that encourages this view.
Sadly, many bigots have commented on the article as well, such as Ian from Ramsgate, who says "The problem is not that less abled persons want equal treatment it's that they want special treatment, that just ends up being seen as unfair in the opposite direction."
If you see disabled people being abused on public transport, call the police (for rail,the British Transport Police phone number is 0800 40 50 40) and reprimand the abuser. Get others to help you as well.
Donate to Scope to help end the abuse of disabled people.
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