Ms Kriba, who walks with the aid of crutches, missed her flight to Kumasi from Accra as staff of the airline said the company’s policy does not accommodate persons who cannot board their planes without aid.
Attempts by a passenger to convince authorities to permit Ms Kriba board the flight proved futile.
Read the rest of the story at: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/KIA-AWA-allegedly-prevents-cripple-from-boarding-flight-649091
In this edition of APEX Insider, Flying Disabled founder Chris Wood suggests that disabled passengers with disposable income – a market set to grow as a result of the world’s aging population – prefer to travel by land or sea rather than to fly because airlines require them to check their wheelchairs.
Geraldine Lundy, Virgin Atlantic’s passenger accessibility manager, says, “When I look at the number of people with a disability who are flying, either through an airport or with an airline, if you think there’s about 15–20% of the customer population with a disability, you only have about 2% of those who fly … That’s a huge amount of money that businesses are missing out on.”
The interviewees go on to discuss the reasons why this is the case, how legislation shouldn’t have to be the trigger for change and what suppliers like Bluebox Aviation Systems are doing to lead the way in improving the passenger experience for customers with disabilities. The APEX member won a Crystal Cabin Award last month for Bluebox aIFE, an accessible IFE platform for visually impaired passengers that launched on Virgin Atlantic flights in November 2017.
…Significantly, the House bill also calls for a feasibility study of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems; and “the ways in which individuals with significant disabilities using wheelchairs, including power wheelchairs, can be accommodated with in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems”.
Disability rights advocates are eager to see industry explore ways in which disabled travelers can stay in their own wheelchairs, and have loudly championed the cause of late.
Additionally, the bill calls for a review of air carrier training policies related to properly assisting passengers with disabilities, an amendment proposed by Representative Jim Langevin.
Read more about the SEAT Act at: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2018/04/27/aircraft-seat-size-in-the-spotlight-as-house-passes-faa-reauthorization/
People with #disabilities still face barriers to air travel, so I’m pleased that the #FAA reauthorization includes a Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers with Disabilities. Thank you @RepBillShuster & @RepPeterDeFazio for this bipartisan effort.
— Jim Langevin (@JimLangevin) April 26, 2018
A woman with multiple sclerosis wants Delta Air Lines to improve its service for disabled passengers after she claims she was tied to a wheelchair following an international flight earlier this month.
Read more at: https://nypost.com/2018/04/25/delta-apologizes-for-tying-woman-with-ms-to-wheelchair/
Both Delta and United Airlines have updated their policies for service and emotional support animals. The airlines now require passengers to submit health and vaccination papers for uncaged animals as well as documentation that the animal has been trained. Emotional support animals also require a letter from a doctor or licensed mental health professional. Behind the recent policy changes is the incredible increase in incidents involving people taking advantage of disability protections and boarding airplanes with animals with questionable credentials. United Airlines has seen a 75% increase in “customers bringing emotional support animals onboard” and Delta claims a 84% increase in “incidents” involving animals.
Disabled in Action Activist at The Largest Minority
National Public Radio
