by Sarah Lumley, SWNS

A TRAIN-loving teen’s ‘dream’ work experience at Bodmin & Wenford railway station was cancelled after he was deemed a health and safety risk — because of his learning disabilities.

Jacob Richardson, 14, was “jumping for joy” when he was offered the week placement at Bodmin & Wenford railway station.

But within days the steam train heritage attraction changed their mind and withdrew the offer — after hearing of Jacob’s additional needs.

Train enthusiast Jacob, who has been passionate about locomotives for most of his life, has ADHD, a learning delay, and can display impulsive behaviour.

The railway said his disabilities didn’t suit “small rooms or narrow corridors”.

His school had made arrangements so that Jacob’s teaching assistant (TA) would have accompanied him during his work experience — meaning he would have got on fine, according to his dad Mark, 42.

But father-of-four Mark said the railway station overreacted “big time”, and judged Jacob without even offering to meet him.

Mark, who lives across the road from Bodmin & Wenford railway station with wife Emma, 41, and four sons Jacob, 14, Louie, 13, Conor, 12, and 10-month-old Freddie, said: “It was a bit of a surprise if I’m honest.

“I don’t understand why they are discriminating against someone with additional needs when we are offering to put measures in place to negate any risk.

“The school offered Jacob’s TA, who works with him all the time, to go with him for the whole week. 

“In my eyes, that takes away any additional danger. We wouldn’t put him anywhere that would put him in danger. But they still said it wasn’t an appropriate setting for him.

"Surely they have measures in place for customers with additional needs, so why not have a child do work experience for a week with additional needs?”

He added it was difficult having to tell Year 10 pupil Jacob that he could no longer do the work experience.

“He was so excited — literally jumping up and down and shouting — and then when I told him it wasn’t going to happen, you could see everything just sank,” said Mark. “He asked me why and I just couldn’t tell him. I just said, ’They couldn’t do it, mate’. It was a really heart-sinking moment for me, and for him.

“He knows why now, and he is disappointed and annoyed with them.”

In an email response to Mark, a representative from Bodmin & Wenford station explained the reasoning. The email read: "Upon hearing what those learning disabilities were, it raised a number of concerns for us. 

"As a public facing business we have to be very mindful of the health and safety of everyone involved at the railway, whether they are a member of the public, staff or volunteer.

"Unfortunately we felt that even with the support of his TA we were not going to be able to provide a meaningful work experience for him. 

"Many of the locations that staff and volunteers work in are small rooms or narrow corridors such as on the train and with the addition of his TA we felt that it was simply not appropriate.

"Please understand from our perspective that we are a small charity run mainly by volunteers and we have to make decisions on a case by case basis when it comes to work experience."

But Mark, who manages the Post Office in Padstow, said he was most frustrated that the station had not asked to meet Jacob to assess the genuine risk.

He said: "They didn’t even see him or ask to meet him with his TA so that they could assess fully. They just saw what I wrote and said no.

"Jacob is a very friendly, chatty lad who loves to interact with people, and would have been great at the station with customers. 

"Even if he was in the ticket office for the whole week, he would’ve been happy as Larry.

"But they weren’t willing to discuss any of that. It was like they couldn’t be bothered, that was the impression I got — it was too much hassle for them. I think it’s pretty disgusting on their behalf." 

Going forward, Mark hoped that future placements would look beyond Jacob’s file and try to meet him in person.

He said: "The message that it sends is that they’re discriminatory and non-inclusive even though they claim to be.

"I think employers should disregard what’s written on paper and what labels are given to a person and actually meet them, talk to them and see that they are much more than what’s written down on a form.

"I think if people met Jacob, his chances of future placements would be so much greater than if they just read his file."

He added that the family are now working on an alternative work experience placement for Jacob, and have had some kind offers.

When approached for a comment, Bodmin & Wenford said: "We cannot comment on individual circumstances, especially regarding minors. We have responded directly to the parent and also to the school involved."

He got offered the placement on January 18 and his father handed over some paperwork to the station last Friday (January 28).

He said that is when they saw he had learning difficulties and rejected him.