Help Improve Airline Access with 15 Simple Questions


We’ve seen the stories about wheelchair users being mistreated by TSA agents or forced to crawl across the tarmac. Is this typical, or are these incidents few and far between? Are some airlines better than others for wheelchair users? And how often is equipment damaged or destroyed by airlines?

Please take our short survey on airline access so that together we can explore the state of air travel for wheelchair users today — and how it can be improved.

The answers to this survey will inform and shape our April cover story on airline access that I’m working on. I don’t have a title for it yet, but have been referring to it as the “Big Blow-Out Airline Story,” and I’d like for you to be part of it. You’ll see the last question is a place where you can let me know your name and email if you’re willing to be interviewed.

Travel is a vital human need — especially today, when we must fly for work or to visit family or to expand our own knowledge of the world — and more wheelchair users than ever before are taking to the skies. But most agree flying isn’t quite as amenable to passengers as it once was. So I’m also talking to advocates and travel specialists about what needs to change and how we can work together to fix what can be fixed as well as how to cope with what we’re stuck with.

And the advocates and specialists I’ve spoken with? They want to hear from you, too. We’ll be sharing our survey results and findings with people who can make a difference. So please, take our short survey, and also share this survey with every wheelchair user you know who flies.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/airline-accessibility

 


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Stacy Palmer
Stacy Palmer
10 years ago

As a mom (Canada) of a 10 yr old ,who requires a wheelchair for anything over a block , who loves to travel, this is of great interest to me because I believe had I not been there he would have had some major issues. The one airline we have flown on,we will not fly with them unless we have to. They lost his chair, didn’t want to give us a loaner, and tried to blame us. I have heard nothing but issues with that particular line. My son plays in a wheelchair basketball league and some of the players came back with some major horror stories! Thank you for doing this!

joanne
joanne
10 years ago

I am obese and in a power chair most of the time because of both reasons travel is a nightmare.My brother lives in tampa,fl my 90 year old mother and I only get to see him once a year, when he comes to boston.I can not bring myself to try airlines again to much drama and I get so upset , I end up getting sick.please if any one can help me figure something out also there are never any van that my chair can fit to rent.