The Very Unaccommodating Skies: Travel for the Disabled Is One Bumpy Ride

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People always associate summertime with travel. For many travelers with disabilities, and for my husband Jim Fisher and I as parents of an autistic teenager, travel tends to be associated with headaches or rather with something more like migraines. With TSA, airlines packing in the econo-passengers and civility and patience in short supply, the skies, the roads, etc., all seem to be decidedly less friendly. Individuals who need wheelchairs and other accommodations have really been getting short shrift while flying in Europe, as Reuters notes, and the situation doesn’t look like it will be changing anytime, or anywhere (including in the US), soon.

Last week, European Union officials met with representatives of the European Disability Forum, which represents about 80 million Europeans with disabilities, to discuss the challenges of flying. Unfortunately, the meeting yielded few results about enforcing existing laws about passengers rights with airlines, over such issues as making sure that airline staff handle equipment such as wheelchairs properly. A 2006 EU law requires airports and airlines to “board passengers with reduced mobility” but, as the following examples illustrate, compliance has been at best “shaky”:

The meeting was called after complaints about several European airlines reached the European Commission, including one from the U.N.’s disability representative, who was prevented from boarding a European flight on Swiss International Airlines in April.

Ryanair (RYA.I) lost a lawsuit in Britain earlier this year in a case over a wheelchair-bound woman who was stuck on the runway when a requested hydraulic ambulance lift to raise her to the plane’s door was not available.

The woman’s husband carried her onto the plane on his shoulders and the court found that employees gave no help. Air Europa, EasyJet (EZJ.L) and Air Berlin (AB1.DE) have also been the subjects of recent complaints to the Commission.

Passengers do have rights. In the US, passengers with disabilities can learn about their rights via the Association for Airline Passenger Rights:

The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination in air transportation by domestic and foreign air carriers against qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments

TSA has a program for screening of persons with disabilities and their associated equipment, mobility aids, and devices. A section on children with disabilities is primarily about children with physical disabilities, but does note that you should “inform the Security Officer if you think the child may become upset during the screening process as a result of their disability” and “offer suggestions on how to best accomplish the screening to minimize any confusion or outburst for the child.” How agents might respond, or if they will respond at all, to a parent’s suggestions is not mentioned.

As I recently wrote in regard to some passengers’ calls for child-free flights, air travel is currently out of the question for our son Charlie. His disability is “invisible” in the sense that he does not have physical disabilities but he does need accommodations.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Jez w.

10:39PM PST on Dec 25, 2011

As a disabled person, I do not travel on aeroplanes because it's just not worth the stress. Ryanair are the worst, on a flight to Ireland, a stewardess actually took my walking aid away, meaning that I could not use the toilet for the entire flight! Also customs staff in the US are so damn rude that I won't put up with it. I'm not paying good money to be treated like a criminal by people who clearly enjoy intimidating passengers, especially those coming into the country.

send a green star

Sheri S.

10:59AM PST on Dec 25, 2011

People today are very sensitized to only themselves. If it is different from them or what they want, there is a problem. People have a very, very diffiult time accepting what they can not see. Autism is not always visible in people and the others can't understand and don't want to be bothered seeing that their view of the world is selfish, egotistical, smug and biased against all that is different from them. The airlines don't take very good care of the able-bodied people let alone the dis-abled. They are only concerned with packing the sardine can fuller than it should be. The TSA as a whole doesn't care about people, matter of fact, I think they enjoy upsetting people and this is a way to do it legally.

I do hope that Charlie will one day be able to see his West Coast family. I applaud you for knowing what he can or can't do and tailoring your life to him, rather than throw him aside because it's too much trouble.

River Grace D.

4:05PM PST on Dec 24, 2011

Though I generally despise airline travel for some of the same reasons Charlie does, noise, crowded conditions, strange people asking me to do strange things, wailing babies, etc,, ad nauseum, when I sprained my ankle the day before I returned home, the airline staff were fore the most part extremely accommodating. The only problem I had was when they parked me in a wheelchair too far away from, and with my back turned to the podium. I couldn't get anyone's attention except a friendly passenger's when I needed the restroom, or hadn't eaten all day. When people learned it was "only" a sprained ankle they became very helpful--all of them could relate to it. I believe most people are afraid to relate to physical, and even more-so to mental handicaps because IT COULD HAPPEN TO THEM OR THEIR FAMILY. Our society that grew up on Barbie and G.I. Joe does not like imperfection. As a majority we fear it. And what we fear we become angry with. When will we grow up as a society? I believe some of the Gen-X crowd and their children are making a start? I sure don't want to grow old and have those as uncaring as my generation responsible for my care.

Jess D.

10:48AM PDT on Jul 11, 2011

It's really easy for people to suggest greener methods of travel like trains, but a train from the east coast to the west takes 5 days or more for the first leg of the trip. It would be really nice to just "take the time, don't be in such a hurry", but for people with full time jobs, and kids to boot, this is not always a possibility.

Kristina, have you looked into some of the "elite" clubs that some airlines offer? They often come with special boarding privileges, and quieter, less crowded lounges in the actual airports. The memberships can be a bit costly, but it might help keep Charlie a little calmer during trips.

jeanie j.

1:58PM PDT on Jul 7, 2011

Flying is definitely so not green - jet fuel and jet fuel amounts and all. Try the train, great way to cross the country, see the sites and enjoy some calm travel. Or, be really green and stay home or take smaller, local trips. We believe we need, must, get here or there in a flash. Now it's getting more and more time consuming to fly anywhere. For non-business folks - sort out something less hectic and somewhat more responsible to the planet.

Danuta W.

3:26AM PDT on Jul 7, 2011

Thanks for sharing.

Grace A.

2:31AM PDT on Jul 7, 2011

I don't travel. I am too old. Travel by any means is so very not green. There is no place I really want to go. I can just as well look at pictures of tourist attractions as look at them in person. I hope the TSA destroys the airlines.

Nimue P.

9:42PM PDT on Jul 6, 2011

I can imagine how difficult air travel is for disabled people. The airlines really should address this issue and find a solution which would make things a little easier for these passengers.

Marie W.

8:44PM PDT on Jul 6, 2011

Get with it- all this crap is keep people from going anywhere- not just the disabled and not just on planes. Fortress America no one in and no one out!