In Australia, QANTAS and Virgin Blue both provide assistance for people who
need
support for transfers when boarding or deboarding aircraf.
In addition to the usual small wheelchairs to assist in the cabin, QANTAS also
provide slide boards, transfer slings and 'Jonny belts' to assist with
transfers, and full harnesses where people require additional upper-body
support.
For QANTAS, there are three categories of passenger: self-reliant, non-self
reliant and dependant. Only those categorised as 'dependant' are 'required' to
travel with a personal assistant. These include those who need assistance
eating (though cabin crew are more than helpful if you just need help opening
packets and a little cutting of food), with medication in-flight, those who
need
assistance with the toilet (if you suggest that you might need to go in-flight)
or whose communication support needs are such that communication with cabin
crew
would be difficult in an emergency. The category also covers those who are
BOTH deaf and blind.
I am certainly aware of people whose mobility requires the use of an electric
wheel chair (e.g., people with Spina Bifida or CP) who travel independently
(i.e., without an assistant), as 'non-self relaint' passengers.
I would be interested to hear more on this topic as we at CDDS have been
ionvolved with these issues in Australia.
Regards,
Keith
Quoting Russell Vickery <[log in to unmask]>:
> Hi everyone
>
> I would just like some information regarding air travel for people who can
> not independently transfer. Here in New Zealand one of our airlines is
> pretty much insisting on disabled people who can't travel; that they have an
> support person with them who much do the transfer. I was just wondering do
> other airlines insist on this? If not what do other airlines do for people
> who can't independently transfer to and from aisle chairs.
>
> Thanks
> Russell
>
> ________________End of message______________________
>
> Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
> are now located at:
>
> www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
>
> You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
>
________________End of message______________________
Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
are now located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
|