Monday, August 14, 2006
Disabled travellers badly treated by airlines
Responding to the Department of Transport’s decision to continue with the exclusion of air travel from the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), the Disability Rights Commission said that evidence from callers to its own helpline was proof enough that a voluntary code was not working.
Will Bee, Director of Transport policy at the Commission, said:
“Over a third of all transport calls to our helpline relate to bad treatment of disabled travellers by airline operators and the nature of the complaints chimes in exactly with those cited in the Government’s report. Disabled air travellers run the risk of poor service and mistreatment whenever they contemplate air travel. And this is likely to continue when similar treatment on buses and trains will ruled out under the DDA this December. ’
Will Bee continued:
“We’re disappointed that the Government has ignored the evidence of its own report and continued to support a voluntary approach which is clearly is not working.”
A new EU regulation coming partly into force in July 2007 (and fully a year later) will establish for the first time protection for disabled people when making European flights. The regulations will also confirm the shared responsibility that airline companies and airports have to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled travellers. But the regulations, the DRC says, have weaknesses in key areas.
“The definition of disability under the EU regulations is more restrictive than the DDA and it will not prohibit charging for some adjustments needed on board a plane. Although they are an important step in the right direction, we believe that the Government has to make clear that, unless airlines ensure that disabled people can fly with confidence, they will extend the DDA to airlines to close the remaining gaps in the legislation.’
Will Bee, Director of Transport policy at the Commission, said:
“Over a third of all transport calls to our helpline relate to bad treatment of disabled travellers by airline operators and the nature of the complaints chimes in exactly with those cited in the Government’s report. Disabled air travellers run the risk of poor service and mistreatment whenever they contemplate air travel. And this is likely to continue when similar treatment on buses and trains will ruled out under the DDA this December. ’
Will Bee continued:
“We’re disappointed that the Government has ignored the evidence of its own report and continued to support a voluntary approach which is clearly is not working.”
A new EU regulation coming partly into force in July 2007 (and fully a year later) will establish for the first time protection for disabled people when making European flights. The regulations will also confirm the shared responsibility that airline companies and airports have to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled travellers. But the regulations, the DRC says, have weaknesses in key areas.
“The definition of disability under the EU regulations is more restrictive than the DDA and it will not prohibit charging for some adjustments needed on board a plane. Although they are an important step in the right direction, we believe that the Government has to make clear that, unless airlines ensure that disabled people can fly with confidence, they will extend the DDA to airlines to close the remaining gaps in the legislation.’
