Paralyzed journalist forced to crawl to bathroom on flight to London due to lack of wheelchair
A journalist recounted a harrowing incident during a recent flight, highlighting the challenges people with disabilities face in air travel. In a moving social media post, Frank Gardner detailed how he was forced to crawl to the plane’s bathroom due to a lack of assistance.
He shared a photo from the cabin floor to X and wrote: “Wow. It’s 2024 and I had to crawl on the floor of this LOT Polish airline go to the bathroom during the flight back from Warsaw because “we don’t have wheelchairs on board. “It is airline policy.” “If you are disabled and can’t walk, this is just discriminatory.” Gardner became a wheelchair user in 2004 after he was shot six times by Al-Qaeda while on a mission in Saudi Arabia.
However, he added that while staff were apologetic and understanding, it was the airline’s fault. “In fairness to the cabin crew, they were as helpful and apologetic as they could be. It’s not your fault, it’s the airline. We will not fly with LOT again until they reach the 21st century.”
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for better accessibility standards in the aviation industry. Many have criticized the airline for not providing adequate support to a disabled passenger.
The Polish airline has issued a statement in response to the incident, expressing its regret and promising to investigate the matter fully. The airline has also committed to taking measures to ensure that similar situations do not occur again in the future. “We are deeply sorry for the distressing experience that Mr. Frank Gardner experienced on his recent flight with us. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and inconvenience caused by the lack of a wheelchair on board. Wheelchairs are currently available on board our Dreamliner aircraft. However, due to limited space, our short-haul fleet does not yet have this facility. “We understand the importance of accessibility and are actively testing solutions to equip our short-haul aircraft with wheelchairs on board in the near future.”
The journalist’s harrowing experience has shed light on the current challenges faced by people with disabilities in air travel. In India, travelers can pre-book wheelchair assistance or bring their own wheelchair, but this comes with its own problems, and high demand can be a deterrent to the smooth provision of services. Earlier this year, an 80-year-old passenger collapsed and died at the Mumbai airport after waiting for a wheelchair. The DGCA had issued a show cause notice to Air India and notice to all airlines to ensure adequate availability of wheelchairs.
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