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Scottish Disability Equality Forum along with thistle logo in purple and green

03/11/05 - Fight on as flyers banned

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The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has written to the government demanding air travel is brought under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), following a string of cases in which airlines have failed disabled passengers.

The final straw came in September, when nine blind and partially sighted passengers were ejected from a Ryanair flight to Italy, minutes before take-off, because the plane had reached a self-imposed "quota" of four disabled passengers per flight.

Ryanair denied being told months in advance that the nine were disabled, though it did admit to a "fault" at the check-in desk.

The incident sparked a furious row between the "no frills" airline and the DRC after Ryanair claimed the quota was agreed after advice from DRC chairman Bert Massie when he was director of RADAR ten years ago. The DRC and RADAR hit back, saying the policy was agreed at a time before the DDA existed.

Mr Massie said the airline's policy of "wanting a fast turnaround at airports" was the main reason for their "policies against disabled people".

He said: "It is clear that the policy of working with airlines to improve their services voluntarily is not working.

"The DDA 2005 gives the government powers to include air travel within the provisions of the DDA and I have written to the secretary of state for transport asking him to use his powers to do so."

His call was backed by Chris Maule-Oatway, one of the passengers ejected from the Ryanair flight. It came as the European Parliament and European Council gave a first reading to proposed new European Union laws, which would prevent airlines stopping disabled passengers boarding flights and being charged for extra requirements.

The British Air Transport Association rejected the DRC's call, saying it was "unnecessary, given European legislation coming in" and the Department for Transport, currently evaluating a voluntary air travel code of practice, said European laws would "pretty much involve everything the DDA would involve".

Ryanair also rejected calls for aviation to be added to the DDA, saying its policy had "been working fine for ten years".

Taken from Disability Now November 2005

Do you think Ryanair were right to ban the blind party? Have you experienced discrimination while flying? Should the DDA be expanded to include air travel? Have your say by filling in the form in this month's Disability Now

 

 

 

 

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