Air travel for people with disabilities continues to be a pain in the ass. Carrie Salberg, a Minnesota woman with muscular dystrophy who uses a ventilator, was kicked off a flight for reasons that aren’t entirely clear. The pilot claimed that her vent wasn’t approved for in-flight use, but then she was placed on another flight that required her to catch a connecting flight home. Delta Airlines refunded Salberg’s tickets and those of her companions, but only after the local paper started asking questions.
Nothing like this has ever happened to me. I always expect complications when I fly, but airline staff haven’t questioned my equipment. Instead, they simply proceed to misplace it. I long for the day when airplanes are truly accessible and people like Salberg and me can easily board without being treated like suspicious cargo. Unfortunately, the narrow profit margins of airlines make it unlikely that flying will become any more disability-friendly in the near future.
I wonder if your postings of planned revolution might not impact your travel plans in the future. “Do Not Fly” list for Mark Siegel agitator / instigator. I’m just sayin’.