New documentary highlights how airlines are ‘failing’ disabled passengers

British TV presenter and disability advocate Sophie Morgan has long fought for airlines to be held accountable for poor treatment of disabled passengers, and her new documentary highlights why this is such a pressing issue.

Sophie’s Fight to Fly documentary showcases the horrific experiences of disabled passengers up and down the country, with many experiencing discrimination, poor planning from airlines, and improper handling of vital mobility equipment.

In fact, a survey undertaken by Channel 4 revealed that of 500 people with reduced mobility, half felt they were discriminated against when they flew, 55% said they experienced an accessibility issue with at least one airline, and one in four who use a mobility aid had it lost or damaged while flying.

The disability charity Scope says the documentary highlights how airlines are “failing” disabled passengers.

Passengers had to drag themselves along airplane aisles and had their equipment broken by airport staff

To demonstrate the need for change, Sophie asked a group of 17 advocates who use mobility equipment to fly to three different European cities. They flew from three different airports with three different airlines, which have all been previously criticised by disabled passengers. The undercover footage revealed:

• One passenger who is a wheelchair user had to sit on the floor and physically drag himself by his hands along the aircraft aisle to the toilet because there was no aisle chair available.
• Another passenger with muscular dystrophy was denied access to an eagle hoist at an airport in Paris (the site of the Paralympics) because there wasn’t one available.
• Another passenger said her foot had been bruised after she nearly fell from the aisle chair used by staff at a Parisian airport to transport her off the plane. She then later found her specially adapted wheelchair was broken and no longer able to provide the vital support she needed to sit upright.
• Staff at a UK Airport were unable to comfortably seat two wheelchair users in their seats using aisle chairs, with one saying his hip was repeatedly bashed against the aisle seats. One of the passengers, Jonathan Fogerty, said it was a “dehumanising experience”.

Sophie says these mistakes can put disabled people ‘at risk’ of injuring themselves and she is now calling for new laws to make air travel more accessible.

The Rights on Flights campaign

The ‘Rights on Flights’ campaign calls for better accessibility for disabled passengers and compensation when mobility equipment is damaged.

Sophie said: “The campaign aims to achieve systemic change, such as increased staff competency in disability assistance, community engagement, commitments from manufacturers to implement accessible designs, and policy changes and legislation advancing disability rights.”

A key aspect of making air travel accessible for all is building aircrafts which allow disabled passengers to board and fly while remaining in their wheelchair. Excitingly, a prototype of a new airline seat which can fold down to allow wheelchairs to slot in is currently being tested by Delta Airlines. Sophie said this prototype could change disabled people’s lives in an “unrecognisable way”.

“The next generation of disabled people will not have to deal with the trauma and the abuse that disabled people have been dealing with for decades because of this one space on board an aircraft, and that is amazing,” she said.

Sophie Morgan’s Fight to Fly airs on Channel 4 on Monday 22nd July at 9pm. Read more about the Rights on Flights campaign here.