"When airline staff learned that [Representative Langevin's] wheelchair used lithium-ion batteries - a lighter-weight, more durable type of battery - they refused to let him bring it on the flight. Although federal and international aviation officials have ruled that the batteries can be transported safely, Lufthansa employees at Boston Logan International Airport - BOS wrongly cited safety concerns that the battery could overheat and catch on fire."
- Amanda Morris, The Washington Post
For the first time since the pandemic, I traveled by airplane to visit Boston. As a wheelchair user traveling with Canine Companions® Pico, I did a ton of legwork communicating with JetBlue's executive office ahead of my flight. I provided them with paperwork about my chair frame and my wheels which utilize the same lithium-ion battery as Congressman Langevin. I also provided the airline with the newly required U.S. Department of Transportation forms and Service Animal Transportation Solutions ID that went into effect in December 2020 with the updates to the Air Carrier Access Act. (H/T to Eric Lipp of Open Doors Organization for streamlining that process).
Getting through security was aided by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pre-check as it meant they treated my chair and Pico with much less scrutiny than prior travel.
Once at the gate, I handed the agent roughly 20 pages of printouts including all the documentation I had shared with the airline's executive team over e-mail in the days and weeks leading up to my departure. Much to their credit, the gate agents at Logan and the in-flight crew on both legs were incredibly helpful and I had zero challenges boarding my flights.
Sadly that's still not the norm for disabled travelers and Congressman Langevin's experience is far too common despite what the Federal Aviation Administration allows. Complicating matters, most wheelchair users wouldn't have the resources or clout to utilize the same solutions that allowed the Congressman to board a later flight with a different chair.
Flying with a disability shouldn't take a Ph.D. in planning, the resources of a Congressman, or the luck of the draw of awesome gate agents and in-flight crew.
Representation matters in all areas of an organization, including Congress, without which these issues would take much longer to get the attention they deserve. I am fortunate to have had the chance to meet Representative Langevin when I worked on the Hill in 2008. He was one of the first people I met with a disability who ascended to such a highly visible position and served as a major influence in my decision to pursue advocacy work. He will be sorely missed in Congress, and his departure leaves big shoes to fill.
#Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Travel #RepresentationMatters #FlyingWhileDisabled #Planning #Transportation
