As power wheelchair riders and Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) stakeholders applaud the recent order for WestJet to end by next year its 300-lb. wheelchair transport weight limit, it’s worth remembering that traveling with any sort of wheelchair remains challenging for many reasons.
In the first YouTube short from @AccessbyTay, we get a look at one power chair rider’s experiences, including transferring into and out of aisle chairs — and how better training for airline employees is needed.
In the second video, @WHEEL_AROUND_THE_WORLD — aka, Shane Hryhorec — shares painful conversations stemming from his inability to place his power-assist unit under the seat in front of him … because literally there is no space due to the design of the plane and the seat he was assigned.
At one point, Hryhorec tells an unidentified Virgin Airlines employee that he’s flown the airline three times in the last four days. The employee says bluntly, “I don’t believe that.”
Proof that while seating and wheeled mobility continues to advance, accessibility and general attitudes have a long way to go.
