| 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
|
