Another example of a person with reduced mobility experiencing unnecessary and dangerous difficulties when flying has been highlighted by a Canadian travel blogger, who said disembarking a recent Air Canada Rouge flight was “terrifying”.
Tori Hunter was travelling with her family from Toronto to Liberia in Costa Rica, for a wedding in early May. But the ordeal was such that Hunter, 26, has since published a video of the disembarkation process to illustrate the challenges some passengers face.
Wheelchair with no armrests and busted wheels
Hunter suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disorder affecting the neuromuscular system. With limited neck movement and muscular control, she uses a custom-made electric wheelchair for mobility.
With most planes still unable to accommodate flyers’ own wheelchairs, except in the hold, Hunter was in what is called an “aisle wheelchair” when she was carried off the plane by airport staff. The video shows just how precarious that process is. Four members of staff were needed to support the weight of Ms Hunter and the chair, two of them while walking backwards down narrow steps.
To make matters worse, the aisle chair was already damaged when it was given to her to use, she says, with “no armrests, straps that wouldn’t tighten enough to keep my body in, and front wheels that were busted off”. Hunter’s father was forced to lean in and support her head.
@torihunter.blog It’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day, so it seems like a fitting day to share what happened on my flight to Costa Rica last week. This is me, being carried down a flight of stairs in a broken aisle chair — no armrests, straps that wouldn’t tighten enough to keep my body in, and front wheels that were busted off. You can see from my face how distraught and absolutely terrified I was. The individuals that were sent to help me disembark this plane likely had very little training on how to do so; they kept having to place the chair down from not having the correct grip, and they were holding the chair completely sideways (hence my dad trying his best to hold my head so it didn’t completely fall over). We didn’t speak the same language so they continued along without understanding my repeated “no’s”. Never in my life have I felt so out of control and so disconnected from my body. I was never informed that this would be how I would have to disembark the plane, and it never crossed my mind given that this airport DOES use jet bridges. In fact, all of the other planes around us were pulled up to them. I love sharing my travels as a wheelchair user because I truly believe that there is so much in this world is accessible and I want to inspire people to experience that. But, this is one of those instances where traveling with a disability is, unfortunately, not so glamorous. It’s 2024, disabled people deserve a more dignified and safe way to fly. #rightsonflights @Air Canada ♬ original sound – Tori Hunter | Disabled Travel
Airline given months of advanced notice
Despite informing the airline months in advance of her condition and additional needs, the airline failed to make arrangements to accommodate Hunter safely. “If the airline and the airport had more open lines of communication, then they could have ensured that we were parked at a jet bridge or that a ramp or hydraulic lift was available,” she notes.
Air Canada had its knuckles rapped last year by the Canadian government for its failings when it comes to the treatment of passengers with additional requirements. This time the airline issued a statement claiming that it had complied with all protocols for the situation. The carrier appeared to put the blame for the incident on the size of the airport, which could not provide an aircraft bridge. “As part of our accessibility plan, we will be reviewing airport procedures, including for smaller foreign stations, with the aim of working with local airport and other partners to find ways to provide more consistent service,” the statement said.
Hunter is an advocate of changes that would allow wheelchair users to retain their own chairs on flights. Meanwhile, she is determined not to let such incidents affect her passion for travel. “I hope this process is something I never have to experience again,” she said. “I love travelling and I’ll never let it stop me from experiencing the world.”
