Meghan Smith
Good morning! Here's a @gbhnews story I did about a month ago that I'm still following: A Boston woman was flying to Washington, DC. When she arrived she learned that her wheelchair had been severely damaged. Airlines damage thousands of wheelchairs every year.
Is this something you have experienced? #disability #accessibility #travel https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2023/04/20/you-literally-stole-my-independence-what-happens-when-an-airline-breaks-a-wheelchair
‘You literally stole my independence’: What happens when an airline breaks a wheelchair

Colleen Flanagan's power wheelchair was badly damaged on a flight from Boston to Washington, D.C. this week.

News
Jun 1, 2023 at 2:05pmWeb
Show threadanneguisinherbaJun 1, 2023
@meghansmith @gbhnews Hi Meghan. Welcome to a sane place. I’m a recent birdsite refugee and I really like it here.
Show threadbouriquetJun 1, 2023
@meghansmith @gbhnews True, the ground handling staff are definitely part of the problem but what kind of design is the wheelchair that it can’t be folded and subject to transport and some mishandling? Sounds like a more robust design is also needed to allow more fragile components like joysticks to be better protected, stowed or shielded if it can be easily damaged.
Show threadJames PurserJun 2, 2023

@bouriquet @meghansmith @gbhnews if you read the story, the chair in question wasn't a foldable manual chair, it was a power chair. It takes a lot to break them and its bloody expensive to fix them.

Wheelchair breakages from airline mishandling is a chronic problem

Show threadbouriquetJun 2, 2023
@purserj @meghansmith @gbhnews But that’s exactly the issue: power chairs are heavy, most don’t reconfigure for safe shipment, weigh over 100-200 lbs. Lighter units do reconfigure for shipment, have batteries approved for air transportation but less rugged. Maybe best airline shipment is a mini-container (aluminum/fiberglass). Would allow for safe handling without damage in loading/bag systems, good case for Medicare to reimburse airlines for that extra cost directly.
Show threadBurn This Dyspho Out 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 6, 2023
@meghansmith It happened in France to someone I know, unfortunately. It took months to get some money back for their new wheelchair