Airport assistance

Hello Readers,


It has been a month since the release of  the C.A.A(Civil Aviation Authority) guide to improve assistance for hidden disabilities and with the recent news story of the Paraplegic Man dragging himself through Luton Airport. It is time to ask the question of whether the current airport assistance is good or bad and what can be done to improve the assistance given at airports.


Firstly lets talk about what happened at Luton Airport. A paraplegic man named Justin Levene arrived at Luton airport where his self propelling wheelchair was left. He decided to propel himself across the floor. He was offered assistance but the assistance offered didn't accounted for Justin's right to be assisted unaided and to be able travel independently. Now Justin is currently suing Luton airport for failing to provide adequate assistance. This story leads to me questioning why he was not offered a self propelled wheelchair? was it due to a prejudged notion that disabled people can't be independent that disabled people have to act or look a certain way? after searching for news articles about this I have found some articles which have a similar theme.

While it is great that airports are taking steps to take hidden disabilities seriously however there is still an idea of what a disabled person looks like for example here are some summaries from articles that show what I mean.

Take this article written November 12 from the metro (link to article below) which is about a woman called Hana Islam who is registered as partially sighted and has a condition called Stargardt's disease but due to her interests in fashion and makeup she is able to expertly apply makeup and dress glamorously but according to the article she is often questioned about her appearance with the common misconception that she does not look disabled.

Another article dated January this year about a woman called Nathalie Allport-Grantham who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a tissue disorder that causes chronic pain)Marfan syndrome which also causes chronic pain and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (which causes dizziness and fainting from standing too long) meaning she has to partially use a wheelchair was talking to a staff member was told that she was wasting the staff members time and that the staff member was waiting for someone who can't walk. As it turned out that staff member had been the booked assistance she was looking for but was refused help from that staff member because she didn't fit that staff member's idea of an disabled person.

To conclude with providing a further question. Why does the assistance seem to fail from travelling through London? has London become a place where despite being a capital city with people constantly travelling through day in and day out and people constantly asking for assistance that the only way to get assistance is to look a certain way?

Links to articles:
Metro Article
https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/12/woman-told-shes-too-good-looking-to-be-disabled-8132183/

CAA Guide
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?appid=11&mode=detail&id=8717

Independent Article
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/disabled-woman-stansted-airport-refuse-help-ryanair-nathalie-allport-grantham-a8138051.html

Luton Airport Article 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45765767

Restarting the blog

Hello Readers,

I have decided to restart my blog which has been inactive for nearly 6 years (well 5 years 11 months and 17 days since my last post to be specific).

So why the long delay?
Well the delay started as I was restructuring the business and moving office which took a lot of my time up so I couldn't regularly update and then the blog just faded into obscurity from there.
Now that I am able to update the blog now I will be trying to stick to a regular posting schedule.

And with that being said I think I will end the post here. I know that this post is a bit of short one I will hopefully have a topic for discussion in the next week or so look out for that post.

Regards,
Danny Puresh

THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT CALLS FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE CRISIS

THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT CALLS FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE CRISIS 

 

Cyprus, 18 November 2012 /// On 17-18 November 2012, the European disability movement gathered at Ayia Napa, Cyprus, for EDF’s Board meeting thanks to the support of Cyprus EU Presidency. Representatives of its member organisations all around Europe, as well as representatives of the Cyprus Republic and the European Parliament discussed the steps to be taken towards a more inclusive and accessible Europe. During the meeting, EDF adopted a Statement on the crisis in view of the upcoming European Council on 22-23 November 2012.

 

WE WANT EU MONEY INVESTED ON ACCESSIBILITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION

Acknowledging that persons with disabilities and their families have been hit disproportionately hard by the crisis leading to the worsening of their living conditions and endangering their social rights, during its Board meeting in Cyprus, EDF adopted a Statement on the crisis calling for social investments to protect and respect the rights of persons with disabilities. The Statement will be sent to the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Central Bank and all the heads of State and Government in view of the upcoming European Council on 22-23 November 2012.

Read more at:-  http://www.edf-feph.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=13855&thebloc=31409

Paralympic Fact - Did you know....

Team GB won ....................................

Pralympic Fact - Did you know....

London 2012 will be the most compact Games ever. Around half of the 20 sports will be held in the Olympic Park and the majority of the remainder in the River Zone. These two zones are just 15 minutes apart.

The River Zone features five venues in the Thames Gateway area which straddle the River Thames. They are: North Greenwich Arena 1, Greenwich Park, North Greenwich Arena 2, ExCeL and the Royal Artillery Barracks.

Events held outside these two zones include Paralympic Rowing (which is being held at Eton Dorney, 25 miles west of London), Paralympic Sailing which is at Weymouth and Portland and Paralympic Road Cycling which will be held in central London.

London 2012 will be the most accessible Games ever for athletes and spectators. Train platforms have been widened, buses will be low-floored and are wheelchair accessible and all river piers have ramps.

More than 8,250 London buses have been fitted with the new iBus system an automatic radio and on bus passenger display announcement system which helps the visually and hearing impaired and those unfamiliar with London.

Paralympic Fact - Did you know.....

Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Roberts are Britain’s most successful Paralympians. Both have won 11 gold medals each. Grey-Thompson won hers on the track and Roberts in the pool.

Swimmer Chris Holmes won nine gold medals including six in one Games (Barcelona 1992), the largest medal haul at a single Paralympic Games by a British Paralympian ever.

Quote of the Week

"You can't base your life on other people's expectations".

Stevie Wonder, Musician