Airlines, Airports must be more “Disability Friendly “

When it comes to catering for the needs of passengers with disabilities, most airlines and airports display atrocious levels of Customer Service.

People with disabilities have been left standing in pain at weigh bridges at airports-because someone has forgotten to bring them a wheelchair, some passengers have had to crawl or be carried out of planes-due to no wheelchairs being supplied, assistance dogs have been mistreated by airline staff, and passengers who are quite independent and may only need a bathroom door to be held open-have been told that they need to travel with a carer, that can assist them.

There have also been incidences where wheelchairs, other mobility aids or specialised equipment has been broken, due to the rough handling of baggage handlers. What is disturbing is the fact that unless passengers are prepared to take their story to the media, they’ve got little chance of compensation. Airlines seem to be totally dismissive of the concerns of passengers with disabilities.

However this dismissive attitude does not only apply to airlines, but also to airports. Passengers With Disabilities have been left to struggle to push their wheelchair as well as carrying their luggage, some have waited long periods of time to get off planes and some have been given no assistance, when it comes to navigating their way around the airport..

There have also been instances where airline staff have just stood around, watching passengers struggling to get off the plane.

Returning from Australia to his home in Helsinki, Finland, Craig Nolan, 43, claims flight attendants booted him off his flight due to his extra flight requirements. He was also later charged $400 for a no-show fee. He was left stranded at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

He was born with spina bifida a congenital condition that affects the development of the spine and spinal cord.

Speaking to the SBS, the frequent traveller said he had informed the staff and the airline that he would require an aisle chair, and assistance while travelling to and from the toilets. His wheelchair would also need to be tagged so he could use it during his layover in Doha.

“It’s in their job description,” he said.

Although Mr Nolan disclosed his extra needs while checking into his flight, and informed a staff member after he boarded his flight, he was told to disembark his flight around 10 minutes after that conversation.

While the experience has left him “frustrated,” he knows it’s not an isolated experience for people living with a disability, he said.

“And even since I’ve been home, there’s been so many incidents that I’ve heard of – not just here, but internationally. And it has got to stop,” he added.

In another incident, a Queensland woman with a disability has vowed to never fly Jetstar again after she ended up crawling off a plane when staff refused her request to use an aisle wheelchair for free.

During the last leg of her trip from Townsville to Bangkok, wheelchair user Natalie Curtis used an aisle wheelchair to help her get to her seat.

However, when it was time to depart the aircraft, Curtis says staff asked her to pay to use the wheelchair.

She refused, saying she had never been asked to pay before, and instead decided to crawl off the plane, a journey of about 4m.

“They all just sat around for a while and the option that was left was for me to get on the floor and crawl.”

Natasha Elford was travelling with Curtis and filmed her friend crawling down the aisle.

She said she wanted to carry Curtis off the plane but could not, due to a knee injury.

It’s understood Jetstar staff were informed that an aisle wheelchair was not available for at least 40 minutes when the plane arrived in Bangkok. Curtis’ own wheelchair was brought onto the plane but it was too big to fit down the aisle.

In a statement from Jetstar, a spokesperson denied the aisle wheelchair was withheld due to a request for payment.

Curtis is adamant she will never fly with Jetstar again, describing the whole situation as “embarrassing”.

“It was extremely humiliating so I definitely don’t want anyone else to go through what I had to go through.”

Both airlines and airports are providing poor customer service to passengers with disabilities and they seamlessly don’t care unless there is threat of media attention tarnishing their representation. This being the case, a limelight should be beamed on the whole industry to send a clear message: “it’s about time people with disabilities are treated in a dignified matter”.