Just for once I’d like to tell the gate agents and flight attendants that my folding wheelchair is going into the onboard closet and not have them tell me there’s “no room”. Bitch that’s a wheelchair closet, not a “your bags” closet. Move your damn bags where they belong.
Ok, so according to my friendly aviation expert, this is a Big Fucking Deal. In fact, if an airline argues with you about putting your wheelchair in the wheelchair closet or even suggests there may not be room, unless there is already another passenger’s wheelchair in that closet, they have violated federal law.
CFR Title 14, Chapter II, Subchapter D, Part 382, Subpart E, Section 382.67, Subsection (e)
“As a carrier, you must never request or suggest that a passenger not stow his or her wheelchair in the cabin to accommodate other passengers (e.g., informing a passenger that stowing his or her wheelchair in the cabin will require other passengers to be removed from the flight), or for any other non-safety related reason (e.g., that it is easier for the carrier if the wheelchair is stowed in the cargo compartment).”
Source
This is hugely important because it means that if this happens to you, you should report their asses to the DOT. Why? Because these statistics are published every year for every airline, and the airline gets a huge ass fine for every violation. If we want to see change, we need to make airlines literally pay every time they treat us this way.
@annieelainey you should share this with your followers! This is important info!!
To my mutuals on wheels, print out the law before you fly and whip it out at the gate if they don’t accomodate your wheels.
Thanks a lot for posting this, bro! Flying while crippled is already difficult enough without people pulling this kind of shit. Also, make sure that if there is a piece of your wheelchair or something important missing off of it, that you make a big fucking deal out of it! I’ve had pieces fall off of my wheelchair and nearly lost a decoration I had on it that meant a lot to me because people were careless with my chair. Don’t let them mistreat your wheelchair.
Non-wheelchair folks:
Now that you know, speak up.
You never know when you’re going to see someone who needs an ally.
Yes! Let’s share this information and support our friends on wheels.
Ramp agent here! If you check your mobility aid as a claim-at-gate or just a checked bag and it gets damaged the airline will both reimburse you and fire the agent who loaded your aid and if you don’t pursue this you can take legal action against the airline and the contractor who loaded your flight
Actually none of that is true. The airline will fight to the death to not repair/replace your damaged wheelchair so getting it fixed or replaced can take months and at times more than a year during which you don’t have a proper wheelchair. Engracia Figueroa died because American Airlines destroyed her powerchair and then refused to replace it.
Just search “wheelchair damaged by airline” and you can read all sorts of hair-raising stories.
Oh and if you don’t file a damage report before you leave the airport you have no recourse at all.
The law was specifically written to say that passengers cannot sue if the ACAA is violated. So it’s almost impossible to take legal action against the airline and I can find no reported cases of anyone taking legal action against the contractor who loaded the plane. Our only recourse is to report ACAA violations to the DOT who take years to review violation complaints, often don’t read them when they do “review” them, and rarely if ever take any action against the airline even if they do agree there was a violation.
Many wheelchair users take to social media or mainstream media or contact their Senators in an attempt to force the airline to repair or replace our damaged or destroyed wheelchairs. We don’t do it for fun - we do it because the airlines don’t want to pay.
Basically the whole system is set up to fuck over disabled people because fuck our lives apparently.
