It’s wedding season – a time when many will be preparing for the happiest day of their life – but, for disabled people, there can be additional challenges to overcome just to get to the wedding venue.

Sarah Tunnicliffe, from Cardiff, has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy – a rare genetic disease that causes progressive muscle weakness – and uses a powered wheelchair. She says the process of preparing for her wedding at the end of August has been a very different one to other brides-to-be.

“As a young girl, I always imagined what a wedding, and the experiences that go with it, would look like; but that’s something that, from my perspective, feels a bit different in this situation. I’ve had a few challenges along the way.”

The main challenge she’s faced is finding accessible transport. Sarah and her fiancé, Jamie, live in Adamsdown, Cardiff. They’re getting married a mile and a half away, at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, but Sarah says she’s been unable to find an adequate vehicle to take her there.

“I’ve looked at private hire of wheelchair-accessible vehicles; however, availability is few and far between, and the cost is in excess of £600 when we only want it for maybe half an hour of the day. The other options are taxis, but some are just that little bit too small for my wheelchair. I would just like to have that little bit of extra comfort on my wedding day and to not worry about my dress being crumpled up against the folded-down seats.”

NHS worker Sarah says she’s contacted private companies and made enquiries about short-term rentals in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, as well as over the border in England; but she says she’s either been told there are no suitable vehicles available or hasn’t received a response.

“It means I have to do more, but how many times can I be told no? It’s a challenge and it’s something that’s taken up a lot of time and energy. It’s mentally exhausting. It shouldn’t be that hard.”

As things stand, Sarah will be relying on the capital city’s public transport to get her and her 270kg chair to the venue on time by catching a bus not far from her doorstep.

“This is the choice I’ve made. It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing; however, I’d rather feel those emotions today than on the morning of my wedding day. The bus will be my carriage!”

Just over a third of disabled people in Wales are married (34.1%, 2021 Census), but campaigners say the issues Sarah’s facing aren’t new ones. Alex Harrison, Disability Wales’ Disability Equality Officer, says disabled people often have to go without luxury on their wedding day, but encounter many hurdles as a result.

“We see it constantly. Organising a wedding is stressful enough without all these extra barriers to work through. I think there needs to be more understanding and I think suppliers and the wedding industry, as a whole, need to realise that disabled people like to get married too.”

Sarah says she doesn’t expect special treatment, but wishes more consideration was given to support people like her. She emphasises that one size doesn’t fit all.

“It’s about being reasonable – having reasonable adjustments and reasonable things in place to make life easier for not just one person, but for everybody. It’s the small things that we can change.”

But Sarah is determined to get to her wedding however she can and make the most of her day.

“Whatever happens, there is absolutely no doubt that I’m going to have an amazing day.”

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