I'm a wheelchair user - this is how airlines and hotels must up their game

A survey of 500 people with limited mobility who have flown in the last 5 years, commissioned for the recently-aired documentary, Fight to Fly, revealed:

• 50% felt discriminated against when they flew

• 55% experienced accessibility issues with at least one airline

• 1 in 4 using a mobility aid found their aid lost or damaged when flying

• 1 in 10 had been denied boarding

• 2 in 5 limited had difficulty accessing the toilets on aeroplanes

Challenging MND, a charity that empowers people living with Motor Neurone Disease to challenge the disease and maximise their quality of life, reached out to three wheelchair users to unpack their experiences and help address the issues faced by many limited mobility travellers.

George Fielding, 29, highlights the challenges faced by limited mobility travellers even before reaching their destinations. His experiences underline the following needs:

• Improved Airport Navigation and Support: Airports must streamline assistance services and provide clear guidelines to help limited mobility passengers navigate through them without undue stress.

• Facilities on Short Haul Flights: George avoids long haul flights due to the lack of dignified facilities. Airlines need to improve onboard facilities to ensure comfort and accessibility for limited mobility passengers.

• Accurate and Available Information: Airlines should ensure that they collect and utilise detailed information about the passenger's needs well in advance, minimising last-minute complications.

Claudia Stephens, 26, a new wheelchair user, reports consistent issues with airlines treating limited mobility passengers as exceptions rather than standard customers. She highlighted several critical areas needing improvement:

• Standardised Assistance Protocols: Current systems require disabled passengers to book "special assistance", implying their needs are extraordinary. Claudia argues that with 1 in 4 people being disabled, airlines should be inherently equipped to accommodate several limited mobility passengers on one flight.

• Reliable Handling of Mobility Equipment: Claudia's experiences of her wheelchair being broken on one flight and lost on another underline the need for secure and consistent handling of essential mobility aids.

• Staff Training and Numbers: Inadequate and poorly trained assistance staff lead to confusion and poor service. A consistent protocol across airlines would ensure smoother processes for both staff and passengers.

• Compulsory Seating Arrangements: Airlines should be mandated to seat limited mobility passengers next to their companions to ensure safety and support during flights.

Janet Radford, 64, revealed her experiences with hotels reveal a gap between advertised accessibility and reality:

• True Accessibility in Hotels: Hotels should ensure that rooms labelled as accessible meet all necessary standards, including reachable amenities and safe, functional equipment like pool hoists.

• Fair Pricing: Charging extra for accessible rooms is discriminatory. Hotels should offer these rooms at the same rate as standard rooms.

• Improved Communication: Both airlines and hotels must engage directly with limited mobility travellers to understand and accommodate their specific needs, rather than making assumptions or talking about them in the third person.

Liane Iles, CEO of Challenging MND, commented: "Spending time with loved ones is a core component of our mission, with 29% of our grants dedicated to trips away aimed at creating lasting family memories within the UK, as well as international destinations such as Sweden, Spain, the Canary Islands, and Mecca.

Hotels and airlines should work more closely with limited mobility passengers and wheelchair users to close these communication gaps and facilitate more accessible and better quality experiences for everyone.”