Tag: wheelchair

Mum and disabled daughter abandoned at Stansted Airport

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A mum has revealed the ‘distressing’ ordeal she suffered at Stansted Airport after being forced to sit her four-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy on the tarmac due to the lack of disability assistance from airport staff.

It comes as a study by the Data Investigations Unit at the Oxford Mail’s parent company Newsquest found more than 700 people with disabilities or reduced mobility were left stranded at airports across the UK between 2015 and 2018 due to errors and failures with assistance services.

Staff shortages, connection times, gate changes and system errors were blamed for passengers being forgotten, stranded and missing flights, despite booking assistance.

Read the rest in The Herald.

Gran, 81, and disabled son kicked off TWO Ryanair flights because of wheelchair

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An 81-year-old gran was left “humiliated” by being told she had to get off a Ryanair flight – or leave her disabled son’s wheelchair behind.

But after being re-booked on a flight the following day, Kathleen Dunne was horrified when she was again asked to disembark the aircraft because staff were struggling to fold the chair.

Read the rest on the Liverpool Echo.

Teenager with cerebral palsy dumped from Broome flight after staff could not help carer to lift him

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Virgin Australia says it is investigating how and why a wheelchair-bound Kimberley teenager was dumped from one of its flights to Perth.

Sixteen-year-old Anthony, who has cerebral palsy, was due to travel from Broome to Perth for a medical appointment on July 22.

But when Anthony and his carer Heather Hansen arrived at Broome Airport, Virgin staff said they had not received notice of his special requirements and would not be able to assist with getting him on the aircraft.

Read the rest on ABC.

Businessman’s relief as he wins legal fight with British Airways after wheelchair lost and broken

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An Irish businessman represented himself in court against British Airways after they lost and broke his wheelchair into pieces, and won. He refused their offer of a financial settlement but got them to admit responsibility.

Read more at: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ni-businessmans-relief-as-he-wins-legal-fight-with-airline-giant-british-airways-after-wheelchair-lost-and-broken-35664979.html

AirIndia leaves disabled man’s wheelchair in Delhi

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Pratyush Nalam came to New York City to study at Columbia University, but was stopped dead in his tracks when his motorized wheelchair didn’t arrive with him. It seems that AirIndia saw fit to leave it in Delhi without telling him. Apparently they decided that his fully-approved sealed gel-cell batteries weren’t approved after all, so they just left it at the airport. Nice work AirIndia!

Update: AirIndia agreed to send the wheelchair on a flight tomorrow, but without any batteries. Pratyush doesn’t yet know where he’ll source the correct batteries for his Taiwan-made wheelchair that isn’t available in the US. Stay tuned, this story promises to be a wild ride. Or not.