18-year-old Kathryn Embry was on a recent class trip to a popular megastore that has a 16-car Ferris wheel. Kathryn is a student with Down syndrome and half of the students in the class have special needs, while the rest are student peers who mentor and help them.
When they went to ride the Ferris wheel, they went in pairs.
The first entry on the list of rules for the ride highlights that each ride must be able to understand the rules and follow them. This was no problem at all for Kathryn, as she helps manager her soccer team and has managed to keep teammates in line.
@SCHEELS @fox4kc @JohnHoltNews @kmbc @KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/XmxXve25gY
— Emily Kramer (@emilykramerr) April 16, 2019
“You can look at her and see that she has a disability. But it says nothing about what her capabilities are. She can read the rules. She can follow the rules,” Karen, Kathryn’s mom, told WDAF.
Unfortunately none of the employees working at the store bothered to actually talk to Kathryn to ask if she understood the rules. Apparently, they made a snap decision based solely on her appearance.
Kathryn was all excited to ride the Ferris wheel with her assigned buddy, but before she could actually get on the ride, she was asked to leave.
Her friends are now fighting back against the blatant discrimination.
Kathryn went to scheels in Overland Park, Kansas last week and they would not allow her to ride the Ferris Wheel because “she has a disability”. Please help bring awareness so that ALL people can enjoy the basic amenities at Scheels. #ridethewheel pic.twitter.com/oiSV3G5Vbg
— Emily Kramer (@emilykramerr) April 15, 2019
