From The Electric New Paper in Singapore:He was refused entry to two nightclubs on the same night.
The reason? He is in a wheelchair.
This is a problem that Mr Jovin Tan, 22, (pictured) faced when he wanted to join his friends for a night out. The Paralympian national sailor was turned away at Dbl O at Mohamed Sultan and Attica at Clarke Quay on 19 Dec.
'I just want to party and be able to join my able-bodied friends when they go clubbing,' said Mr Tan, who, like most young people his age, enjoys being trendy and takes pains to dress up whenever he goes out.
He also represented Singapore in the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games in Athens and Beijing respectively.
What frustrated him even more was that he had called Dbl O two days earlier to check if he could enter the club, which he knew was located on the second storey.
'I explained to the staff who took my call that I am able to climb up by myself with railings, and my friends could help me with my wheelchair, and the staff said I could enter,' he said.
But on that Friday night, he was turned away by a manager at the door for safety reasons. The manager was worried he could be hurt if fights broke out between drunk patrons.
One of Mr Tan's friends, Miss Dorothy Tay, an IT assistant planner, said their group
of four friends had deliberately gone early, around 8.30pm, to avoid the crowd.
'We tried to explain to the manager that we could sit at a corner at one of the low tables and not block anyone,' said Miss Tay, a Dbl O regular who's familiar with the club layout.
'We were not asking for any staff to help us carry the wheelchair. We can carry it ourselves because it is compact, lightweight and can be dismantled.'
The group moved to Clarke Quay, where they were turned away at Attica.
Finally, Mr Tan was allowed into The Arena, also at Clarke Quay.
Not only did the staff there let him in, they waived the cover charge for him.
Mr Tan isn't the only disabled person who wishes he has more options for a night on the town.Mr Cai Yi Jie, 27, who works as a freelance song composer and is also wheelchair-bound, said he hoped more club operators would welcome disabled patrons.
He said he had also been turned away at a club about a year ago.
'The staff were polite, but after that I was too demoralised to try again,' he said, limiting himself to other activities like going to the movies or having coffee with friends.
When contacted by The New Paper on Sunday, Attica's marketing manager, MsAmanda Ng, cited safety as a key consideration for barring disabled guests.
While apologising for any inconvenience caused, she said that according to club rules, no entry is permitted to guests on crutches, in wheelchairs, or with recovering injuries, as well as pregnant women.
Said Ms Ng: 'We do not have the proper facilities inside the club to accommodate wheelchair-bound guests. For guests on crutches, we have concerns about safety too.'
She said there was bound to be some spillage in the club, causing the floor to be slippery, and they did not want to take the risk of any injury.
She recommended that guests in wheelchairs or on crutches have a drink at the outdoor area which has wheelchair access.
When contacted, Miss Francesca Liam, the brand manager for Dbl O, said the club welcomes physically-disabled customers.
Asked why Mr Tan had been turned away, she had been unable to speak to the manager concerned.
However, she thanked Mr Tan for highlighting the incident, and said the club would improve its internal communications.
Other clubs may welcome physically disabled patrons, but under certain conditions.
Zouk marketing manager Tracy Philips said that as the club is in a former pre-war warehouse, it has many steps, is not wheelchair-accessible and does not have ground-floor washrooms.
She said wheelchair-bound guests are welcome at the Wine Bar or Velvet Underground, but it's advisable to call in advance to notify the club.
The Pump Room at Clarke Quay said it welcomes wheelchair-bound patrons anytime, including Friday nights, even when the club is packed.
Said operations manager Suhardi Huang: 'They don't need to call in advance. Our staff can easily direct them to enter by the side entrance which does not have steps.'
He said that on average, he sees one wheelchair-bound patron every month, both locals and tourists.
Rock singer John Molina, a director of the recently-shut Thumper at Goodwood Park Hotel, said he did not see any reason why those in wheelchairs should be refused entry.
He said that in his 15 years in showbiz, he has seen several wheelchair-bound patrons at the nightspots where he performed.
Said Mr Molina: 'They are just out for a good time and to enjoy some music.
'Nightlife should not be restricted to only the able-bodied.'
While Mr Tan, who was born with cerebral palsy, acknowledges that Singapore is becoming more wheelchair-friendly, he feels nightspots can do more to cater to the disabled.
'People forget that there are young people who are disabled, but may also want to have a social life and go clubbing with friends,' he said.
Those in wheelchairs are not only welcomed at The Arena, its staff are specially trained to meet their needs.
Its marketing and promotions manager, Miss Valerie Uy, 26, said the club welcomes everyone who meets the age requirements and is not drunk, disorderly or takes drugs.
The club, which opened in June 2007, decided to welcome disabled patrons after getting its first wheelchair-bound customer in August that year.
Operations manager Roysten Gin, 25, said: 'We are fortunate to have a floor plan that's wheelchair-friendly, since the original building used to be a warehouse and the floor is flat.'
After their first wheelchair-bound guest, the club decided to take an active approach to extend its services to disabled guests.
'First we had to train the floor staff to provide better service to disabled patrons, such as watching out for them and clearing a path for them when they need to move around,' Mr Gin said.
He would also try to get tables for these guests near the exit for safety purposes.
'But those who want to be seated further into the club will be accommodated,' he said.
'Our society has evolved and we are no longer back in the days when a wheelchair-bound person was often stereotyped as staying at home and doing handicraft.
'The young generation of physically disabled can also be hip, trendy and want a lifestyle just like other young people,' he added.
He said the club waives the cover charge for disabled patrons as a welcome gesture and to thank them for making the effort to patronise the club.
'It's definitely not out of pity, because once they enter, they are paying customers, and some have even better spending power than the average customer,' he said.
