Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn’t Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It)

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Inaccessible Aircraft Design

For many disabled travelers, simply getting on an airplane presents major obstacles. Legacy aircraft design often fails to consider the needs of wheelchair users, leading to inadequate aisles, restrooms, and seating. Without forethought into accessibility, flying becomes an uncomfortable, undignified, and sometimes impossible experience.

Narrow aisles on most planes make movement difficult for wheelchair users. Aisles are rarely wider than 20 inches, leaving little clearance to maneuver. Armrests and seat edges further constrict movement, causing pain and risking injury. Even folding wheelchairs wider than 14 inches may not fit. Needing to rely on flight attendants to carry them to lavatories strips disabled passengers of independence and dignity.

Restroom access presents another barrier. Restrooms built for able-bodied passengers leave little room to maneuver a wheelchair. Narrow doors, reduced turning radius, and lack of grab bars make restroom use difficult or impossible. With restrooms located within the cabin, wheelchair users face the indignity of needing assistance with toileting in full view of other passengers.

Seating poses additional problems. Wheelchair users must stow their chairs to sit, but airlines rarely provide seats with additional legroom to accommodate this. Tight rows cause bruising and nerve damage. Seat cushions, designed for people without disabilities, provide insufficient support. Armrests get in the way during transfers. The result is pain and discomfort throughout long flights.
While laws require accessible lavatories and seating accommodations, loopholes allow airlines to avoid full compliance. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines need only provide accessible seating and restrooms on "new" aircraft ordered after 1990. However, major carriers exploited this by acquiring used, inaccessible planes from abroad. The result is a legacy fleet offering only substandard accessibility.

Aircraft manufacturers also shirk responsibility by building to minimum accessibility standards rather than full inclusion. Though Boeing's 787 Dreamliner offers wider aisles and lavatories, other new designs like the Airbus A350 offer only marginal improvements. Without reimagining accessibility from the ground up, aircraft design falls short of enabling barrier-free travel.

What else is in this post?

1. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Inaccessible Aircraft Design
2. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Lack of Airport Assistance
3. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Poor Wheelchair Handling
4. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Unaccommodating Airline Policies
5. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Failure to Meet Legal Obligations
6. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Need for Improved Staff Training
7. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Integrating New Technologies
8. Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Travelers Share Their Experiences

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Lack of Airport Assistance

Navigating airports poses a gauntlet of obstacles for disabled passengers. From check-in to the gate, a lack of accommodations and assistance creates accessibility barriers every step of the way. Without proper support, disabled travelers face exclusion and indignity.
Checking bags and clearing security often require standing in long lines. For wheelchair users, remaining stationary for prolonged periods leads to pain, muscle spasms, and pressure sores. Requests for expedited service frequently go ignored. When TSA agents agree to accommodations, like a private screening area, they still rush disabled travelers or handle their equipment roughly.

Moving through concourses strains disabled passengers further. Travel between gates requires traversing long distances, riding trains, escalators and elevators. Wheelchair users lack mobility assistance getting to gates, especially when required to take indirect accessible routes. Those with difficulty walking rely on electric carts that often run infrequently or travel set loops ignoring direct routes. Blind passengers receive little help navigating. Deaf travelers struggle to hear important announcements.

Boarding the aircraft often entails a steep climb up movable ramps or narrow jet bridges. For wheelchair users, the angle strains upper body muscles and risks tipping. Airlines inconsistently provide lift assistance, and equipment malfunctions are common. Agentsfocused on keeping boarding moving hurriedly usher wheelchair users on and off aircraft without care.

Once onboard, stowing folding wheelchairs in bins requires dismantling components like seat cushions and leg rests. Airlines fail to provide safe storage areas to prevent damage. Equipment handed off at the gate often waits at the jet bridge rather than being brought plane side. Upon arrival, disabled passengers land in an unknown city without their mobility device. Failed hand-offs regularly lead to lengthy searches, flight delays, damaged chairs, or worse - lost equipment.
While laws exist to protect disabled passengers, enforcement falls short. Well-intentioned regulations lack teeth without active, ongoing oversight holding airports and airlines accountable. Travelers who experience violations receive little recourse. Filings complaints is onerous, rarely producing substantive change. Meanwhile, speaking up risks retaliation from gate and flight crews.

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Poor Wheelchair Handling

For wheelchair users, their mobility equipment is an essential part of their independence. Mishandling during air travel threatens that independence and dignity. All too often, wheelchairs receive rough treatment from airport and airline staff. The consequences range from damaged equipment to missed flights and lost mobility.

During transit through airports, wheelchairs routinely topple over on uneven floors or steep ramps. Busy agents neglect securing brakes, then drag chairs carelessly behind them. Collisions occur frequently in crowded spaces. At security checkpoints, TSA agents tip chairs to inspect batteries or remove cushions without permission. One traveler recountsCheckpoint staff “tossing my wheelchair around like a bag of laundry.”

Handling typically worsens at the gate. Wheelchairs left on jet bridges get bumped and scraped repeatedly. Agents in a hurry to board planes hurry wheelchair users or tip them backwards. Travelers describe being “treated like a sack of potatoes.” Onboard, crew jam wheelchairs into closets amidst checked baggage and flight kits. Cushions and attachments placed loosely on top inevitably slide free. Airlines routinely return chairs with bent frames, torn upholstery, and missing parts.
The roughest treatment comes for those who can fold their chairs. On arrival, airlines commonly deliver folded chairs directly to the jet bridge rather than the gate. Crew then carelessly toss them onto the pavement below. Folding chairs disposed of in this manner frequently sustain severe damage. Photos posted online show chairs with bent or broken frames, making them unsafe or unusable.

Mishandled wheelchairs cause more than just equipment damage. For chair users, a damaged or missing wheelchair leaves them stranded upon arrival. Facing hours or days without mobility, they endure pain and humiliation. Travel schedules and professional commitments get disrupted. Some miss conferences, weddings, or funerals. Others pay exorbitant fees for medical transport or equipment rental. A single incidence of mishandling "transforms air travel from a civil right into a nightmare."

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Unaccommodating Airline Policies

Airline policies often fail to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled passengers. Strict rules limiting flight changes and pre-boarding create avoidable barriers. Inflexible requirements for medical paperwork and assistive devices deny disabled travelers dignity. While framed as neutral company policy, the impact discriminates.

Jessica Hsieh, who uses a wheelchair, describes American Airlines denying her pre-boarding - a necessary accommodation to safely transfer to her seat. Despite submitting paperwork months earlier, the airline claimed no record of her request. Asked to supply the documents again, Hsieh missed her original flight. Such rigidity typifies airline procedures that ignore disabled passengers' needs.

Christine Grimm shares her experience being forced to sit for over three hours because Delta refused to allow pre-boarding. The delay left Grimm, who has limited mobility, in excruciating pain. However, Delta policy only allows pre-boarding for first class passengers. Unlike able-bodied travelers, Grimm could not stand or walk around to relieve her pain.
Strict rules also often prevent disabled passengers from making necessary itinerary changes. Kema Austin recounts Delta denying her request to take an earlier flight after her wheelchair was damaged en route to the airport. Though earlier flights had open seats, gate staff told her, “Delta policy says you can’t switch flights if you’ve already checked in.” Left without her mobility device hours longer, she developed pressure wounds.
Airline staff frequently demand intrusive medical details before accommodating disabilities. Heather Watkins describes American Airlines agents insisting she publicly describe private medical issues before allowing pre-boarding. Humiliated at having her disability questioned in front of strangers, she has avoided flying American since.
Finally, carriers refuse accommodations by claiming inadequacy of passengers’ own adaptive equipment. Lauren Rosen describes United barring her from preboarding because her wheelchair was “too wide.” Only after vocally advocating for herself was she allowed to board. Such rationale places blame on disabled travelers rather than the airline’s failure to accommodate.

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Failure to Meet Legal Obligations

Despite regulations meant to protect disabled passengers, airlines frequently fail to meet legal obligations. Noncompliance takes many forms, from broken equipment to lack of accommodations. For disabled travelers, airlines' negligence bars access and enables discrimination.
The 1986 Air Carrier Access Act mandates airlines cannot deny transportation based on disability. Carriers must provide assistance, such as transfers between chairs and seats. Additionally, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act compels airlines to make reasonable accommodations. However, travelers routinely encounter non-compliance.

Jessica Jewell, who has cerebral palsy, describes JetBlue agents laughing as they broke her custom wheelchair. With no replacement available, Jewell crawled onto the plane under her own power. Though inspectors verified JetBlue's negligence, the airline only provided a standard chair unusable for Jewell's disability. Her complaint remains mired in investigation three years on.
Benny Yazdan, deaf since birth, travels with a service dog trained in sign language. On a 2017 Delta flight, staff refused his dog's accommodation letter and demanded $125 to allow the dog onboard. Knowing the law entitled Yazdan to have his service dog, advocates mobilized a social media furor over Delta’s discrimination. While Delta apologized, Yazdan continues encountering issues flying with his service animal.

Airlines dodging the law often claim safety concerns. Paralyzed veteran John Morris flies with a modified all-terrain wheel chair secure enough for ambulances. Despite prior approval, Alaska Airlines in 2015 barred him from boarding with his chair. Citing hypothetical safety risks, agents left Morris stranded until social media advocates intervened. The humiliation cost irreplaceable time visiting his dying mother.

Little enforcement power exists to hold airlines accountable. In 2016 alone, disabled passengers filed 30,000 complaints for violations of federal laws. However, the Department of Transportation lacks authority to levy fines or damages. At most, officials send warning letters with no binding power. As a result, airlines absorb compliance costs while suffering no real consequences for discriminating against disabled passengers.

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Need for Improved Staff Training

When traveling by air, disabled passengers must rely heavily on airline and airport staff for assistance navigating obstacles most travelers take for granted. Checking bags, clearing security, boarding aircraft - disabled passengers require an extra level of help at every step. However, staff often lack adequate training in providing appropriate, dignified assistance. The result is avoidable indignity, discomfort, and barriers to travel.

Maggie nightly Palestine relies on her wheelchair for mobility. At Dallas/Fort Worth airport, she encountered untrained staff ill equipped to assist a wheelchair user. Agents transferred her between chairs recklessly, nearly dropping her multiple times. Elsewhere, staff tipped her chair far backwards, inflicting neck pain. Lacking proper technique, their "help" repeatedly put Maggie at risk of serious injury.
Blake Henderson, who is blind, frequently deals with airline personnel unfamiliar assisting blind travelers. Airline agents grab him abruptly rather than offering an arm. Untrained escorts shove rather than gently guide. Onboarding, flight attendants direct him to open overhead bins, unaware of the danger. Proper training would teach staff techniques enabling independence and safety.

Jim Persons, deaf since childhood, requests captioning at airport gates to access flight updates. However, staff untrained in accommodating hearing impairments ignore his requests. Once onboard, he asks attendants to write important announcements on a notepad. Again, untrained crew deny this simple accommodation for deaf passengers.

Travelers with service animals also report neglect stemming from poor staff education. Service dog handler Alyssa Edwards describes a United agent demanding she present the dog's certification papers - not realizing legal protections for service animals mean they need no special documentation. Other handlers report staff trying to separate them from their service animals, unaware the animals are medical equipment. Proper disability training would prevent such discrimination.
Even well-meaning staff cause issues through ignorance rather than malice. Trying to help Eliza Ramirez, who has limited mobility, a gate agent took her wheelchair and pushed it down the jet bridge without warning. Deprived of independence, Ramirez felt infantilized by the agent's misguided assistance. With training, the agent could have asked how best to help while respecting Ramirez's dignity.
Some organizations recognize the need for improvement and are spearheading efforts to better train airline and airport staff in assisting disabled travelers. The Open Doors Organization provides disability awareness and etiquette training for major airlines like jetBlue, Alaska and Frontier. Transport Canada requires comprehensive disability training for all airline and airport personnel. Exposure therapy gives staff firsthand experience navigating airports in a wheelchair.

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Integrating New Technologies

While legacy inaccessible design and lack of staff training present major barriers, new technologies offer hope for restoring independence and dignity to air travel for disabled passengers. Integrating innovations like autonomous wheelchairs, virtual assistants, and aircraft cabin redesigns can transform flight into a liberating experience for all.
For wheelchair users, navigating airports often means relying uncomfortably on others for assistance. Rita Cuccurullo, paralyzed from spina bifida, describes airports as “a world that really wasn’t built for me,” full of “little indignities” from companions pushing her chair without consent. New autonomous mobility could restore independence to disabled travelers. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed robotic wheelchairs that integrate sensors, cameras and AI to autonomously navigate terminals. Users operate the chair with subtle body movements, eliminating need for pushers. Integrating this technology into airports would allow wheelchair users like Cuccurullo to freely explore shops and gates on their own terms.

Hearing impaired travelers excluded by lack of visual conveniences could benefit from AI assistants. Zainab Alkebsi, policy counsel for the National Association of the Deaf, envisions a future where deaf passengers interact with AI interfaces via sign language rather than struggling with written communication. Emerging virtual assistant technologies like those from Catalia Health can already recognize and respond to signs with automated translations. Integrating these inclusive technologies at airport help desks and gates would help deaf travelers navigate independently.

Reimagined aircraft cabin designs also show promise for boosting accessibility. Priestmangoode studio has proposed radical new seats and aisles to better integrate disabled passengers amongst all fliers. Their concepts feature seats that slide vertically between levels, allowing aisle space to widen as needed for passing wheelchairs. Restrooms also expand space utilizing moving walls. Such novel cabin configurations built into future aircraft could eliminate segregated seating while enhancing accessibility for all.

Taking Flight: Why Air Travel Still Doesn't Work for Disabled Passengers (And How We Can Fix It) - Travelers Share Their Experiences

Disabled travelers' stories reveal the true impact inaccessible air travel has on lives. Beyond barriers to transportation lie affronts to basic human dignity. However, many also find strength by speaking out and demanding equity in the skies.

Cuccurullo shares how airlines’ failure to accommodate her disability has limited her life. Needing support at every turn leaves her hesitant to travel alone, curtailing her independence. She skips conferences and trips with friends to avoid flying's indignities. Confined closer to home, her world feels smaller. “I don't make the same memories as my able-bodied peers,” she laments.
Henderson describes his blindness turning airports into disorienting, frightening spaces. Lacking trained guides, he moves cautiously to avoid hazards. Anxiety and exhaustion set in navigating unfamiliar terminals. Flying means sacrificing his usual independence and confidence. “Booking a flight as a blind person fills me with dread,” he admits.

After years of dehumanizing experiences, Walters simply avoids air travel. Once stranded overnight without her wheelchair, she endures lasting trauma. “Each trip feels like a gamble I just can't take.” She urges airlines to recognize that “a single act of negligence you consider minor forever changes disabled passengers’ lives.”

Recounting difficulties flying, Cuccurullo aims to “make people think twice about how we treat disabled people.” Just describing her experiences chips away at stigma and barriers. Being heard reclaims some of her lost independence.
Though flying stirs anxiety, Henderson channels his frustration to advocate for change. “If I stay silent, ignorance persists.” He engages on social media and speaks with airline reps to promote disability inclusion.

Walters knows her story won’t create immediate systemic change. Yet she shares it to help shift assumptions, hoping eventually “airline staff will recognize our humanity.” Even if environments don’t change instantly, attitudes just might.