Victoria resident Chris Marks says the ban on wheelchairs is discriminatory.The Times Colonist in Victoria, Canada reports wheelchair users will not be allowed on the docks for Victoria's Tall Ships Festival.
Local disabled people, like Chris Marks, call the policy a form of discrimination against people who use wheelchairs.
Organizers say the policy provides safety. "It is a difficult situation," said Geoff Corbett, executive director with the Tall Ships Society. "They're floating docks and we wanted to ensure the safety of all people attending."
Marks has three years sea time and during the festival wanted to visit the Maple Leaf and its crew, where he once served as chef.
Festival organizers say the ships themselves aren't wheelchair-accessible, so they decided it was safer to limit the access of all wheeled devices to land areas. Other wheeled devices such as walkers and strollers were also banned.
Gord Rant, 27, also a wheelchair user, says wheelchairs are perfectly safe on the docks. "We're active guys who were on there last week," he said. "It's clear discrimination."