charlesboyer: blog 
charlesboyer's blog
delta makes woman with muscular dystrophy crawl off plane
Published Jul. 30, 2008
The 'good' folks at Delta Airlines recently made a woman with Muscular Dystrophy crawl off of an airplane rather than assist her in making a connection. Then, when she missed the plane, gave her a food voucher she couldn't use because no one could be bothered to take her to the food court to get something to eat. Delta should absolutely be ashamed!
On July 20th, Julianna's (delayed) Delta flight landed in Atlanta at 7:30pm, with a connecting flight scheduled for 8:05pm. Julianna, who has muscular dystrophy, missed the connecting flight because nobody came with a wheelchair until 8:05—the same time the connecting flight took off. To make matters worse, the plane crew told Julianna she might make the flight anyway if she stopped waiting for help and got off the plane right now, so she crawled down the stairs on her own.
"The employees in this room were debating who would get me to the ticket gate to be re-ticketed because it was no one's job and the appropriate personnel were not responding to their calls. After that was resolved I was given a new boarding pass for a flight expected to leave at 12:55 AM. Then this person advised me she cannot get me from a D Gate to Gate A9. She again called for the appropriate personnel who never showed. We waited by an elevator for someone she convinced to bring me over to Gate A even though it was not his job. I had to beg him to stop at a bathroom entrance and to wait for me and then he finally delivered me to Gate A9.
"I was given a meal voucher for my INCONVENIENCE but could not purchase any food because again there was no one to bring me to an eating establishment, never mind wait on the long line for me to make a food purchase.
"At 11:15 I advised the gate attendant I was dehydrated and cramping because I could not purchase any water. This is the only nice employee that treated me with dignity. The flight I was transferred to was supposed to leave at 10:22 PM but was delayed until 1:30 AM. This gate attendant went and brought me water off of the plane.
"This gate attendant also made sure she finally found some one at 11:15 PM to push me to obtain food and another bathroom break. I arrived in West Palm Beach at 3:15 AM with no ride and had to again crawl into the shuttle service to get home.
"I understand plane delays and waiting at airports, but is this how you treat your handicapped passengers???
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"I wish I could doubt her story, but I can't. I've had Multiple Sclerosis for eight years. Although I'm mobile, traveling is exhausting for me, and I can't walk fast enough to make connections, even with my cane, so I have to rely on wheelchairs.
I have had a similar experience on several occasions, even though we tell the airline when we book the flight that I need wheelchair assistance to make the connection (I always make a point of checking with the person at the gate when I check in to make sure that they have that noted)."
GOLO member since August 16, 2007
July 30, 2008 9:27 a.m.
From the original articles comments:
[www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov] has all the links to the US Dept of Transportations requirements for meeting ADA accommodations. A couple of the links are bad, but the most important ones (in my unhumble opinion) are the link "Air Carrier Access Act Provisions", a summary of the act that says things like:
"Airlines are required to provide assistance with boarding, deplaning and making connections. "
" I can believe it.
Two years ago, after kneesurgery, my leg was in a cast, and I was on crutches.
I had requested wheelchair to be planeside and help getting to the other gates.
No chair, no help.
I did the crawl, crutch, hobble thing too."
GOLO member since August 16, 2007
July 30, 2008 9:26 a.m.
GOLO member since February 20, 2008
July 30, 2008 9:12 a.m.
GOLO member since July 25, 2007
July 30, 2008 9:07 a.m.
GOLO member since August 16, 2007
July 30, 2008 9:05 a.m.
July 30, 2008 8:55 a.m.
July 30, 2008 8:55 a.m.
July 30, 2008 8:53 a.m.
Verification of this can be found on the doors of any Wal*Mart, Kmart or Target, among other stores.
There's a sign that says basically, if you need assistance of any kind completing your shopping, please let an employee know.
Not to help is discrimination on the basis of disability. That's why public places now have disabled restrooms, etc.
God bless.
Rev. RB
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 30, 2008 8:53 a.m.
Having said that, however, the airline should have continued calling every 5 minutes until an attendant showed up to help this woman, and having anyone crawl off a plane, if this really happened, is just plain insane.
If this really occurred, I hope the woman's future is bright with the money she's going to get from a lawsuit, because this is discrimination.
Praying for her.
God bless.
Rev. RB
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 30, 2008 8:41 a.m.
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