b'82 INDUSTRY INSIDERWe Can Do BetterHow proud are you of the aviationthat around 67% of people in wheelchairs industry across North America? avoid air travel because of the barriersGraham Corfield people with disabilities face on aircraft.is chief executive In general, I think we do aofficer of Aviramp, an remarkable job transporting people safely,Compare aviation to other industries,aircraft boarding ramp reliably and in comfort all around theand there is still much to be done. manufacturer based in globe every day of every week. For instance, travellers wouldnt acceptthe United Kingdom. His company strives to improve the travel But there is one notable exception. checking in to a hotel and being told theyexperience for passengers with restricted The way we continue to treatcouldnt use their own mobility devices inmobility by providing alternatives to passengers with disabilitieswhether seentheir rooms. However, there is still no wayaircraft stairs and lift devices. or unseen and those with restrictedfor airline passengers to travel safely in mobility is still just not good enough. their own wheelchairs.Develop our training: Making sure New figures from the U.S. DepartmentThankfully, progress is being made onevery employee who interacts with of Transportation highlight the troublingthis issue, including the Air4All system. Ittravellers has a sufficient level of issue. is in the works, but still years away fromtraining about accommodating a truly workable rollout. In the meantime,disabilities should be a minimum, In June 2024, some 1,075 wheelchairsthere is sure to be some resistance from and scooters were reported as beingnot the gold standard. It is time the within the industry to any wholesaleaviation industry took the lead rather mishandledan error rate of 1.30%.aircraft design changes to accommodate than waiting to be told what to do. By For the first half of 2024, air carriersmobility devices. being proactive rather than expecting posted a mishandled wheelchair andIn the spirit of industrywide progress,governments to lay down the law, we scooter rate of 1.31%. This was lowerhere are three things we can start workingcan send a real signal of intent to our than the 1.37% rate posted in the first halfon today to improve the aviation experiencecustomers with disabilities.of 2023, but still far too high. for all passengers with disabilities:Harmonize legislation: Fragmented As a comparison, the rate of Change our culture: Unless we, as anmarkets lead to fragmented practices. mishandling for ordinary baggageindustry, begin to modify our attitudeAs an industry, we should seek to between January and June 2024 wastoward customers with disabilities,work together across borders to 0.56%, a significantly lower figure. change can only be superficial. Tooensure the same rights and standards Think about that for a second. We areoften we do only the bare minimumfor all passengers, regardless of their pretty good at making sure someoneto make flying accessible, andmobility levels. When it comes to doesnt lose their underwear whilesometimes not even that. A changerights for passengers with disabilities, travelling, but more than twice as bad atof culture that puts the issue right atthe differences between the United making sure their mobility devices arrivethe heart of our industry would meanStates and Europe are alarming. That unscathed. accessibility is hardwired into everyis changing, but we can accelerate decision we make, and not regardedthe process by working together and As campaigners have quite rightlyas an inconvenient afterthought.doing the right thing as an industry. stated time and time again, there would beAccessibility must be at the center of unprecedented national outcry if we wereIts time for the aviation industry to every piece of the jigsaw puzzle thatstep up to the plate and lead, rather than breaking peoples legs at the same rate wemakes up the passenger experience are damaging their mobility devices. being led, on this issue. Then, and only if we are to develop the infrastructure,then, can we truly claim to offer all of our Its no wonder that a recent survey byservices and customer focus ourpassengers the best experience. the Paralyzed Veterans of America foundmodern customers demand.January | February 2025AirportImprovement.com'