Air Carrier Ramp personnel reported he refused to accept a wheelchair with battery attached as cargo. A ramp supervisor approved the improperly configured wheelchair to be transported in cargo.

Narrative

Customer arrived at the gate during the boarding process. One of my coworkers put the hazardous material tag on the motorized wheelchair. When he approached the gate reader; I told him that he would need to remove the battery at the door of the airplane and take it inside with him; as it was a collapsible wheelchair. He told me that he could not do this; as it was locked into the chair and he did not have the key for it and he has flown with it before attached to the chair. I asked him to move to the side and called for the Lead. The Lead arrived and asked what the problem was. I explained the situation and he told me it is not a problem; he checks the wheelchairs with the batteries attached all the time. I told him I would not check the wheelchair with the battery attached as it was against company policy. He called for the Supervisor. She came to the gate and talked to the Lead. She called someone and the Lead made some phone calls. They then told me that the dangerous goods hotline said it was OK to check the collapsible wheelchair with the battery attached. I told them that they needed to document the reservation; as I did not want to be blamed for allowing it to be check the way it was; against company policy. Passenger boarded and the wheelchair was taken with the battery attached. No one had put any documentation into the reservation when I left.Customer had arrived into ZZZ after flying in from ZZZ1 earlier in the morning.