Earlier today I read this: Disability Activist Dies After United Airlines Destroyed Her Custom Wheelchair. Dear friends, please allow me to step upon my soapbox for a moment.
This event horrifies me. First, and foremost, United, and the airline industry writ large need to embrace that wheelchairs are beyond critical to their user’s health. Engaracia’s case demonstrates that dearly.
Her treatment by United, both in the hours at the airport (5 hours?) as well as the being strung along for resolution are monumentally horrifying. Simply stunning in the lack of basic empathy and compassion. As much as I want United to be held accountable for such dreadful negligence, I want to call out the entire airline industry. Over 10,000 wheelchairs destroyed per year is…disgusting…as is the collective shrug in their response.
I deeply value accessibility and diversity. To see something that so egregiously violates that value pains me.
