It is important to check the airline’s restrictions regarding wheelchairs, but also challenge those that hinder your ability to travel safely and comfortably
A number of issues have been brought to my attention over the past couple of months and during my extensive travels over the last half of 2023. This has compelled me to choose this topic for my column.
For those who use motorised mobility aids and want to fly, it is extremely important that you check the airline’s policy with regards to the weight restrictions of said assistive devices.
We recently had a case successfully go through the Human Rights Court where a person using a motorised wheelchair was refused boarding onto a domestic flight due to the fact that his wheelchair weighed more than the airline’s stated 35 kgs. The airline policy also stated that the passenger could not weigh more than 65 kgs and the mobility more than device 35 kgs, which equals 100 kgs together.
Where they got these figures from are a mystery. Luckily said airline is now in the process of changing their policy with the assistance of the disability sector. I decided to check other domestic airlines and found that a number of them have the same policy.
The standard policy for assistive devices is to allow the person to use the device to the aircraft door and then the device is placed into the forward hold “A”.
On landing, the device is brought to the door rather than taken through the main baggage handling route to the carousels. This is to avoid damage to these items.
With larger airports that use boarding air bridges, a problem with handling motorised wheelchairs arises as they have to be man-handled down the stairs. The minimum weight for a motorised wheelchair is 75kg!
The wheelchair needs to also fit into the dimensions of Hold “A”. If you are to give everyone equal access, this means that there could theoretically be more than one motorised device loaded onto the plane. Then the weight restrictions for the floor of Hold “A” becomes an issue.
All matters which need to be discussed and addressed and written into General Handling Policies for airlines and airports.
There was also a case of a passenger with a disability who decided to book a business class seat for an international flight so that they would have the extra space and the comfort of a reclining seat for their pressure care and circulation during the long flight.
On arrival at said seat, they found that the privacy screen was fixed and the assistive staff could not transfer the passenger onto the seat.
There was not sufficient side space, and the screen and seat were too high to assist from behind the passenger. The seat did not move forward when it reclines (like some of the other airlines), so that the person can transfer onto the lowered portion of the seat once it is reclined and then use the seat to move them back into the seated position.
The passenger was extremely embarrassed and had to wait until all the passengers had been boarded before being given an economy seat. Imagine the disappointment!
Again, this comes down to a human rights issue and equality for all. I did some research on various seat plan layouts for different international airlines for facilities for persons with disabilities with regards to their accessible seat allocation as well as accessible bathrooms and was surprised at how few actually have these facilities.
One would have to know which aircraft type would be flying on the routing you choose and which seating plan is being offered on the particular airline.
Surely, the airline staff should be knowledgeable enough and sufficiently trained to be able to assist the passenger who has a disability when they apply for assistance as the passenger usually has to give all the medical information and mobility device dimensions.
This should assist the airline staff with the allocation of correct seating and information with regards to their assistive devices.
This again comes back to policies and training. We all need to be aware of our rights and here is some interesting information that I received from a presentation during regular meetings with the Department of Transport and ACSA. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) states the following:
“For some passengers with physical or hidden disabilities, flying may be inconvenient, worrying or even painful. The airline industry is committed to ensuring that safe, reliable and dignified air travel is equally accessible to all passengers. Airlines and airports are working with representative groups from the accessibility community to make flying as hassle-free as possible.”
Here are some interesting points from the Interview with Linda Ristagno, IATA’s AD External Affairs on Air Transport Accessibility:
“Making air travel accessible to older travellers and people with disabilities is ultimately about being inclusive. It is about enabling everyone to enjoy the freedom that air travel offers.
Approximately one in five people in the United States, or 64 million, have a disability and more than 10 percent of the population in Europe suffer from reduced mobility – mainly the elderly and people with disabilities.”
Why it matters
The world’s population is aging as virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population.
As a result, IATA and its member airlines are committed to ensuring that all passengers can enjoy the freedom offered by air travel, no matter their abilities or limitations.
This is not only the right thing to do for our passengers, it is also good for business. Passengers with disabilities will represent a growing segment. For instance, the total number of wheelchair requests in 2017 was approximately 15 million, a 30 percent increase from 2016.
Why is providing better access to individuals with disabilities important for the air transport industry?
Providing safe and dignified travel for all passengers, including those with disabilities, is not only “the right thing to do”, but makes business sense. IATA member airlines have an inherent motivation to ensure that all people with accessibility needs have a positive experience when traveling by air.
These people are customers and are a growing segment of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people live with some form of disability, which constitutes approximately 15 percent of the world’s population.
Airlines commit to improve travel for passengers with disabilities
Therefore in 2019, the IATA Annual General Meeting unanimously adopted a landmark industry resolution which re-affirmed the commitment of IATA member airlines to provide safe, reliable and dignified travel for people with disabilities.
At the centre of IATA’s development of its guiding principles and all its work on accessibility since, is the disability community’s own guiding principle of “nothing for us, without us”.
At every stage of the development of airline accessibility policy and operating standards, the disability community is involved and consulted.
This is of course the only way to keep the focus on disability, accessibility and inclusion – particularly when facing a new reality and measures due to a pandemic.
Changing the focus from disability to accessibility and inclusion allows the travel sector to bring together passengers with disabilities and governments. Harmonising regulations and processes as well as providing the clarity and global consistency that passengers expect.
The Department of Transport is holding a summit. There have been increased meetings and proposals put together to present at this summit with regards to all aspects of travel, and the ICT Sub Committee has put together their second annual Survey for Transport 2023 – 2024.
It is important for South Africans with disabilities to be counted and to have their say otherwise they will constantly be overlooked and side-lined. If you would like to participate with the survey, here is the link.
In the meantime, happy travels!
