[nabs-l] Airlines and Federation History

Sat Jun 26 17:56:59 UTC 2010

Mika,

I think it's great that you've found a standard officer to whom complaints
can be directed.  Yet, I guess for me it's a matter of convenience.  If I've
got time to spare, I might be persuaded to potentially miss my flight in
order to adequately resolve the issue.  If, however, as is most often the
case, I just want to hurry up and get to my destination, to what degree
should I take the issue?

My biggest beef with airlines recently is the trend to ask passengers with
disabilities to wait while everyone else disembarks.  At least the trend
seems fairly recent to me.  On at least one occasion the flight attendant
actually stood blocking the door to try to keep me in the airplane.  By this
point we were done talking.  I shouldered my way past her and went about
finding my connecting flight, and as long as my journey had already been, I
was in no mood to stand around waiting for the personnel to resolve their
issues.

I'm all about taking steps to help ease the way for future passengers.  Yet,
it seems to me a more formal process is required to implement widespread
policies.  Otherwise passengers are going to be left to individually handle
uncooperative airline representatives who may only learn a lesson for that
specific incident.  Might this perhaps be a resolution for this year's
convention?

Regards,

Joe Orozco

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.”--Sam Ewing 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mika Pyyhkala
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 1:21 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Airlines and Federation History

The DOT has issued specific directives to the airlines that they
cannot require a passenger, such as a blind person, to accept a
wheelchair.

If people are being told they are required to sit in a wheelchair,
this is certainly something you should escallate to a CRO and
depending on the circumstances be compensated for.

Don't fall in to the trap of worrying too much if you miss your
connection.  If you miss your connecting flight because of say having
to work out an issue with a CRO the airline will accommodate you on
their next scheduled flight.  In certain circumstances, they also
might accommodate you on another airline, etc.

If I missed my flight because of a situation with a CRO, I'd certainly
ask them to upgrade me to first class on the reaccommodated flight.

I think members of the public, blind or not, don't really "get" that
these airport supervisors and agents to a large extent can waive any
rule, or do anything with your ticket.  They can change your flight,
upgrade you, put you on another airline, waive change fees, waive fare
differences, put you up in a hotel, etc.  They usually arent' required
to do these things, but they can and do them under certain
circumstances.

Lets just say hypothetically someone traveling to our convention in
Dallas encounters the"you must sit in a wheelchair," issue.  I would
say fair compensation might be they upgrade you for the rest of your
trip.  Or maybe you booked the 6AM flight for your return because it
was cheap, it would also be fair for a CRO to say put you on a 2:00PM
flight with no charge due to your issue with the wheelchair
contractor, and waive the change fees and fare differences.

Otherwise a $100 travel voucher is pretty "standard" compensation, of
course sometimes less and sometimes more.

Your mileage will vary, and remember work with your CRO.  If you "work
with them" and they "work with you" you should be able to get the
situation resolved.

I would also recommend that you not even request assistance.  A lot of
trouble comes up because you guys request the assistance.  If you can
corss a street or take a subway, I am sure you can navigate an
airport.  Once in security, airports are not that hard to get around.
Much easier than say shopping malls or other places you may visit.

The lingo you want to tell them when you check in is that you don't
want any SSR (special service request) in your PNR (passenger name
record.)

Eg "I don't want any SSR entered in my PNR."

They will be surprised you know this lingo, and again, lots iof issud
come up because the SSR is in there.

Best
Mika

On 6/25/10, Anmol Bhatia <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com> wrote:
> One time when changing planes at Saint Louis airport, the 
person who was
> suppose to assist me came with a wheelchair and I like you 
and like I always
> do said that I do need a wheelchair. I to got the responce 
that he can not
> take me unless I take a wheelchair. The plane was de-boarding 
us and picking
> up other passengers for the next distanation. The gate agent was busy
> boarding the next flight and said to me "will you just sit in the
> wheelchair"? Since I did not want to make a seen and since he 
was busy I
> went ahead and did just that. But a vary interesting thing 
happened! As soon
> as we left the gate, the person pushing the wheelchair said 
"you did not
> want to sit in the wheelchair and they forced you to"? I said 
yes. He said
> "we depend on tips and I know you will not tip me since you 
did not ask for
> it". He turned around and took me back to the gate and told 
the same agent
> that I did not want to sit in a wheelchair and they rely on 
tips and I was
> not
>  going to give him a tip. The agent had to call a airline 
employee and ask
> them to walk me to the gate where my next flight was. This 
was great because
> the wheelchair person was the person who came to my rescue 
and I did not
> even have to give a tip since it was a airline employee 
assisting me and
> they are not allowed to except tips.
> Just out of wonder, can the airline make you sit in a 
wheelchair if you do
> not want to? Perhaps this is another issue the NFB can work 
on. The airports
> use the same staff the department who is assisting people 
with special needs
> which is usually wheelchair people and thats why they always have a
> wheelchair. Perhaps when the passengers let it be known that 
they are blind,
> they should just have someone to basically walk us to our next gate.
> Was is your thoughts?
> Anmol
> I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me 
sad. Perhaps
> there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, 
like a breeze
> among flowers.
> Hellen Keller
>
>
> --- On Fri, 6/25/10, Ignasi Cambra <ignasicambra at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Ignasi Cambra <ignasicambra at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Airlines and Federation History
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Date: Friday, June 25, 2010, 9:51 AM
>> One time I got to the Atlanta
>> airport, and had 45 minutes to make it to my next flight.
>> The person that was supposed to assist me came relatively on
>> time, with a wheelchair. I told him I didn't need or want a
>> wheelchair, and he literally told me that if I didn't get on
>> the chair, he wasn't taking me anywhere. Besides that, the
>> guy seemed terribly scared of my guide dog. A passenger on
>> my flight just told me that he was going just a couple of
>> gates away from mine, so I just left with him and let the
>> airport employee leave with his wheelchair to do whatever he
>> had to do. I never took any action about this, just because
>> I didn't have any time.
>> On Jun 23, 2010, at 11:47 AM, Mika Pyyhkala wrote:
>>
>> > (story below of being asked to leave a plane due to a
>> safety breifing issue)
>> >
>> > I don't think the blind should be categorically denied
>> access to the
>> > exit rows, and I agree with Steve Jacobson's
>> comments.  It would be
>> > interesting to talk with Steve about his experiences
>> in the 80's and
>> > 90's.
>> >
>> > The airline and exit row issue was one of the main
>> things that got me
>> > interested in the NFB.
>> >
>> > There is another less known about rule that was
>> adopted by the FAA
>> > initially at the same time that the initial ACAA Part
>> 382 regulations
>> > were adopted by DOT.  This little known about
>> rule concerns certain
>> > requirements that could imply that a blind person must
>> receive an
>> > individual safety briefing, on top of the general
>> safety briefing that
>> > is issued to all passengers.
>> >
>> > We in the federation object to any sort of requirement
>> that the blind
>> > be subjected to some sort of additional compulsory
>> safety briefing on
>> > the basis of blindness.  If a blind person
>> believes some kind of extra
>> > breifing would be helpful to them, they can request
>> it.  However, the
>> > blind should not be required to receive an extra
>> briefing soley based
>> > on blindness.
>> >
>> > Imagine if you will, if a blind person flew 3 times
>> per week.  Believe
>> > it or not, there are people that fly 3 times per
>> week.  If you look at
>> > this safety briefing notion, imagine then that in
>> theory the blind
>> > person that flys three times per week would have to
>> receive some kind
>> > of "extra" "special" briefing that nobody else is
>> required to receive.
>> > In fact,  the blind person that flys three times
>> per week most likely
>> > knows the particulars of the aircraft more than 95% of
>> travelers.  It
>> > is completely arbitrary and capricious to require
>> blind people to
>> > receive these special briefings soley based on ones
>> blindness.
>> >
>> > This discussion is also not just an academic one, or
>> one just about
>> > theories and philosophy, or some kind of table top
>> exercise.
>> >
>> > I fly on average about 2 to 4 times a month.
>> Fortunately, usually,
>> > there is not a major issue with the safety briefings.
>> >
>> > However, I took a flight on Monday June 21st where
>> initially
>> > immediately when I boarded, the flight attendant
>> indicated that I
>> > would have to receive a special briefing.  Where
>> as with other
>> > passengers, the flight attendants greeted them as they
>> boarded, I was
>> > initially "greeted," with the noted statement.
>> >
>> > I told the flight attendant repeatedly that I did not
>> want or need a
>> > "special briefing," and he kept insisting that his
>> manual said that he
>> > was required by the FAA to provide such a breifing.
>> >
>> > I asked for a CRO, Complaint Resolution Official, and
>> then at least 1
>> > agent and 2 supervisors became involved.
>> >
>> > The agents and supervisors told the flight attendant
>> that I was a
>> > frequent flyer, and didn't needd a "special
>> breifing."
>> >
>> > Then one of the agents said that they would volunteer
>> to fly on the
>> > flight with me if this would make the flight attendant
>> feel more
>> > comfortable.  I told them that while this may
>> have been well intended,
>> > that it was not a good or solid solution to the
>> problem.  I told them
>> > I still wanted to speak to a CRO myself.
>> >
>> > Now mind you all this was going on in the middle of a
>> moderately full
>> > flight, and again, at this point I was in my seat.
>> >
>> > Then a CRO came to my seat, and said that I was to
>> take my things and
>> > come with her off the plane, and that they were going
>> to rebook me on
>> > another flight.  I asked her if they were going
>> to compensate me, and
>> > she said absolutely they would compensate me.
>> She did actually do
>> > this in pretty much as quiet and as discretely a way
>> as she could
>> > have.
>> >
>> > I don't know exactly what they would have done if I
>> were to have told
>> > them I was not going to get off the plane.
>> However, several of our
>> > brothers and sisters in the NFB do have stories of
>> telling "them" that
>> > they would not get off the plane.
>> >
>> > I chose to get off the plane because the flight
>> attendant made me feel
>> > uncomfortable and unwelcome, because I was confident
>> these gate agents
>> > were in fact going to do whatever they could do to
>> help me, and
>> > because in some wayys I did not want to find out what
>> would happen if
>> > I told them I would not get off.  But in other
>> ways, I was curious
>> > about it.
>> >
>> > You have to remember also that, the way these FAA and
>> DOT regulations
>> > are written, because NFB did not get what we wanted,
>> there may be
>> > something the airline and flight attendant could use
>> to try to say
>> > that we qre required to receive the special
>> briefing.  I am
>> > researching the particulars of the applicable
>> regulations.
>> >
>> > Once we got off the plane, I told the gate agents I
>> wanted them to
>> > rebook me on another airline to a city closer to where
>> I was going,
>> > and they obliged without any objections or fuss or
>> trouble.
>> >
>> > Also for my compensation they issued a roundtrip
>> flight voucher which
>> > is this carriers usual compensation for a denied
>> boarding situation.
>> > Again they issued the compensation without any fuss or
>> difficulty.
>> >
>> > The next day, on my return flight, I ran in to the
>> supervisor who had
>> > asked me to leave the plane.  She said that they
>> were going to have a
>> > conference call with the station managers, the flight
>> attendants duty
>> > manager, and others and that likely "some action will
>> be taken against
>> > the flight attendant."
>> >
>> > The CRO supervisor had the wherewithall to say that
>> while the "manual"
>> > might say that you always brief a blind passenger
>> separately, that no
>> > manual can account for every individual situation.
>> >
>> > In conclusion it also really occurs to me that most
>> blind people need
>> > to learn more about the nuts and bolts of how airlines
>> work, how to
>> > deal with CRO's, etc.  The stories I hear are
>> just crazy, eg, blind
>> > people saying they were required to use a wheelchair
>> or other odd
>> > things.
>> >
>> > If you  learn how the airlines work, learn how to
>> work with your CRO,
>> > if they get to know you at the airport, you really
>> often can have a
>> > good experience.
>> >
>> > Working with a CRO, as I described it in an email
>> yesterday to my
>> > sister, is sort of a dance of carrots and sticks and
>> give and take.
>> >
>> > In general, the law does not require the airline or
>> the CRO to make
>> > your travel more comfortable, pleasant or for them to
>> compensate you
>> > or really work with you.  The regulations have a
>> lot of requirements,
>> > but a lot of them are administrative.  And if any
>> dollars are to be
>> > paid out, its usually fines a carrier would pay to the
>> government.
>> > That said, if the CRO wants to help you, they really
>> can do a lot for
>> > you, but again typically they aren't required
>> too.  If they wanted to
>> > make your life miserable, they could do that
>> too...this would be
>> > especially rellevant if you are a very frequent
>> flyer.
>> >
>> > There is also nothing to say you as the passenger have
>> to make life
>> > easy for the airline.  Your free to file a DOT
>> complaint whenever they
>> > screw up.  Almost always if a situation
>> escallates to the point of
>> > needing a CRO, they will screw up on some technicality
>> of the
>> > regulation and usually more than one.  When you
>> file a compalint with
>> > DOT it gets tagged against the carrier, and DOT
>> completes an
>> > investigation similar to that of when a member of
>> congress makes an
>> > inquiry to the agency.  Its a lot of paperwork
>> for the airline and for
>> > DOT, and there are very specific ways they have to
>> handle the
>> > complaint.  That said, if your satisfied that the
>> CRO resolved an
>> > issue for you, you don't have to file a DOT
>> complaint.
>> >
>> > Hopefully this gives people a few things to think
>> about.  And we
>> > really should do a seminar on how to deal with the
>> airlines on a
>> > really practical in the field sense and not just in
>> theory.  We should
>> > have some very frequent flyers and maybe a real CRO
>> put the seminar
>> > on.
>> >
>> > Best,
>> > Mika
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 5/27/10, Briley Pollard <brileyp at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >> It is also important to note that everyone else
>> who sits in those seats is
>> >> only instructed to give it up if they "feel they
>> are not willing or able to
>> >> complete these tasks." Why should we not be
>> permitted to use our own
>> >> judgment on this matter? We should have to prove
>> it to someone else? I
>> >> should think not.
>> >>
>> >> Briley
>> >> On May 27, 2010, at 4:58 AM, Jedi wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Antonio,
>> >>>
>> >>> It's kind of ridiculous that I should have to
>> prove my capacity to open
>> >>> the door to anyone much less you when sighted
>> people don't have to. That's
>> >>> the issue, isn't it? As you have already
>> stated, there's no guarantee that
>> >>> all sighted people are truly capable of
>> opening the door, but it's enough
>> >>> to know that they believe they can by virtue
>> of the intelligence to figure
>> >>> it out. Lest anyone think that a sighted
>> person would be able to figure
>> >>> out how to open the door by means of reading
>> visual instructions, I should
>> >>> point out that not all sighted people can
>> understand diagrams of that sort
>> >>> much less utilize them. Just a thought. If the
>> cabin is dark or smoky,
>> >>> visual instructions won't help anyone.
>> >>>
>> >>> Respectfully,
>> >>> Jedi
>> >>>
>> >>> Original message:
>> >>>> Hi,
>> >>>
>> >>>> Jedi, I wonder how you find yourself more
>> capable to open the door, and
>> >>>> the
>> >>>> slide ramp better than many people you
>> know if you haven't actually had
>> >>>> the
>> >>>> experience of, thus the ability to learn
>> to deal with the equipment
>> >>>> before.
>> >>>
>> >>>> Just as there are capable, and not so
>> capable sighted people, many of
>> >>>> whom
>> >>>> can not open the door and the slide, there
>> are many blind people who are
>> >>>> not
>> >>>> capable of performing the duties.
>> >>>
>> >>>> I for one don't mind, and don't care to
>> sit in exit sitting, as long as I
>> >>>> can sit in a place more or less determined
>> by me. That would mean I would
>> >>>> not choose to sit in a bulk head seat.
>> >>>
>> >>>> If the airline can pre-screen for likely
>> liabilities, IE. blind passenger
>> >>>> who can't see the handle for the ramp,
>> they will. And if I can be seated
>> >>>> in
>> >>>> a reasonable fashion, and get to my
>> destination without snag, I am fine,
>> >>>> and
>> >>>> feel treated fairly for the services the
>> airline offers.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>> Antonio M. Guimaraes Jr.
>> >>>
>> >>>> Student, Western Governors University
>> >>>> (617) 744-9716
>> >>>> Eastern time zone
>> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
>> >>>> From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>> >>>> To: "National Association of Blind
>> Students mailing list"
>> >>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> >>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 12:18 PM
>> >>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Airlines and
>> Federation History
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>> You make some very good points
>> here.  I don't think that some are
>> >>>>> realizing how little is really
>> expected of most people who choose to sit
>> >>>>> in an exit row.  One thing I
>> >>>>> forgot to mention when I was writing
>> about why we were as upset as we
>> >>>>> were
>> >>>>> about exit rows in the 80's is that
>> there was a policy considered that
>> >>>>> would have not
>> >>>>> only prohibited us from sitting in
>> exit rows, we would also have been
>> >>>>> prohibited from the row in front of or
>> behind an exit row.  That would
>> >>>>> have excluded us from
>> >>>>> quite a number of seats on some
>> planes.
>> >>>
>> >>>>> Best regards,
>> >>>
>> >>>>> Steve Jacobson
>> >>>
>> >>>>> On Tue, 18 May 2010 01:24:46 -0400,
>> Jedi wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>>>> PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read Walking
>> Alone and Marching Together! Peter
>> >>>>>> can't have given a better
>> suggestion!
>> >>>
>> >>>>>> Unfortunately folks, this is
>> exactly the press that makes airlines
>> >>>>>> think we can't do for ourselves
>> thus asking us not to sit in emergency
>> >>>>>> exits, asking us to preboard,
>> asking us to deplane after everyone else,
>> >>>>>> and altogether treating us as
>> though we can't handle ourselves. For
>> >>>>>> those who think the emergency exit
>> row thing is not such a big deal and
>> >>>>>> worth fighting over, let me remind
>> you that a person as young as
>> >>>>>> fifteen can sit there, a person
>> served alcohol (either before boarding
>> >>>>>> or on the plane) can sit there,
>> and anyone who judges themselves (with
>> >>>>>> the exceptions of the deaf, the
>> blind, the non-English speaking, and
>> >>>>>> the otherwise visibly disabled)
>> can sit there. So basically, we're less
>> >>>>>> competent, in the opinion of FFA,
>> than a fifteen-year-old or a drunk.
>> >>>>>> Others are allowed to judge their
>> fitness for sitting there, but we
>> >>>>>> cannot. Is that worth fighting
>> about? Absolutely! Unfortunately, how
>> >>>>>> society thinks of us in this
>> context is very indicative of how society
>> >>>>>> thinks of us in others. This might
>> sound harsh, but it's unfortunately
>> >>>>>> quite true. The bottom line here
>> is that blind people are treated
>> >>>>>> arbitrarily based on someone
>> else's opinion of what we can do versus
>> >>>>>> our own. Arbitrary treatment of
>> this kind is not limited to disability
>> >>>>>> in our past, but has also been
>> used to separate People of Color from
>> >>>>>> White folks back in the day and
>> even now to an often invisible extent.
>> >>>>>> That's why Federationists fought.
>> Unfortunately, we did lose that
>> >>>>>> battle, but that doesn't mean that
>> we won't reserect it someday. I hope
>> >>>>>> we do as I consider myself more
>> capable of opening that exit than many
>> >>>>>> sighted persons I know.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>> Respectfully,
>> >>>>>> Jedi
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>> Original message:
>> >>>>>>> Hello Peter,
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>> I must say that NFB's issues
>> with the airlines are an excellent
>> >>>>>>> example
>> >>>>>>> of the need to pick battles
>> one can actually win.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>> It is my thought that the
>> fight over the exit row was ridiculous.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>> There's only one case where it
>> might be a legitimate issue. That would
>> >>>>>>> be if it resulted in a blind
>> person actually being denied the trip.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>> If the blind person can be
>> reseated or a sighted one is voluntarily
>> >>>>>>> bumped in order to secure the
>> blind person's equal rights in the case
>> >>>>>>> of
>> >>>>>>> a packed flight, then the
>> matter is resolved IMHO.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>> On 5/16/2010 11:50 AM, Peter
>> Donahue wrote:
>> >>>>>>>> Hello Briley and
>> everyone,
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>    If people
>> would take the time to read Walking Alone and Marching
>> >>>>>>>> Together they would learn
>> of the federation's long struggle to secure
>> >>>>>>>> equal
>> >>>>>>>> access for the blind in
>> air travel. It is a history filled with the
>> >>>>>>>> kind of
>> >>>>>>>> publicity and dribble that
>> can result from incidents like this one,
>> >>>>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>>> much
>> >>>>>>>> much more. Blind people
>> had their canes taken away from them by
>> >>>>>>>> airline
>> >>>>>>>> personnel, were told they
>> couldn't sit in seat rows other than the
>> >>>>>>>> bulkhead
>> >>>>>>>> if they used a guide dog,
>> were told they needed to preboard and
>> >>>>>>>> post-board,
>> >>>>>>>> the list goes on. Read
>> past issues of The Braille Monitor from the
>> >>>>>>>> late
>> >>>>>>>> 1980s and the early 1990s
>> to get an idea of the kind of
>> >>>>>>>> discrimination
>> >>>>>>>> heaped on blind air
>> passengers and why today we must still be on our
>> >>>>>>>> guard
>> >>>>>>>> when stories of this kind
>> hit the media. Blind people were arrested
>> >>>>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>>> physically removed from
>> planes and went to jail for doing nothing
>> >>>>>>>> more
>> >>>>>>>> than
>> >>>>>>>> demanding to be treated
>> like other passengers.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>    We
>> successfully closed down a US Airways ticket counter for
>> >>>>>>>> several
>> >>>>>>>> hours due to their
>> demanding a blind person move from an emergency
>> >>>>>>>> exit
>> >>>>>>>> row;
>> >>>>>>>> a seat he was assigned in
>> the first place. The NFB held several
>> >>>>>>>> protest
>> >>>>>>>> against the FAA and the
>> DOT due to their unwillingness to take a hand
>> >>>>>>>> in
>> >>>>>>>> remedying the
>> discriminatory treatment we experienced at the hands of
>> >>>>>>>> the
>> >>>>>>>> airlines and still do. I
>> know because I took part in several of these
>> >>>>>>>> activities.
>> >>>>>>>> Other types of air
>> passengers now experience similar treatment. Large
>> >>>>>>>> passengers are an example.
>> The NFB can teach the flying public a
>> >>>>>>>> thing
>> >>>>>>>> or
>> >>>>>>>> two about fighting the
>> horrible treatment now experienced all too
>> >>>>>>>> often.
>> >>>>>>>> They just need to learn to
>> stop, as Dr. Maurer put it in 1986,
>> >>>>>>>> "Sitting
>> >>>>>>>> down
>> >>>>>>>> and shutting up!"We as
>> federationists need to remember these
>> >>>>>>>> struggles
>> >>>>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>>> not take the freedom of
>> travel we now have for granted. These
>> >>>>>>>> nabsters
>> >>>>>>>> aren't just squealing over
>> nothing but are remembering our past and
>> >>>>>>>> upholding our legacy of
>> collective action by reacting the way they
>> >>>>>>>> are.
>> >>>>>>>> All
>> >>>>>>>> the best.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>> Peter Donahue
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>> ----- Original Message
>> -----
>> >>>>>>>> From: "Briley
>> Pollard"<brileyp at gmail.com>
>> >>>>>>>> To: "National Association
>> of Blind Students mailing list"
>> >>>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> >>>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2010
>> 9:39 AM
>> >>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Fwd:
>> [Members] Airline apologizes for
>> >>>>>>>> forgetting
>> >>>>>>>> blindteen
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>> Valory,
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>> Again, the reason this is
>> upsetting is A, this girl, (from the way it
>> >>>>>>>> was
>> >>>>>>>> portrayed), isn't
>> comfortable enough with herself to stand up for her
>> >>>>>>>> rights, and B, (the
>> biggest issue), how we're portrayed in the media.
>> >>>>>>>> What
>> >>>>>>>> is said about one of us is
>> perceived to be a definition of all of us.
>> >>>>>>>> Media
>> >>>>>>>> coverage of us is so often
>> negative and condescending, and yes, it
>> >>>>>>>> does
>> >>>>>>>> upset me, and yes it does
>> push me to speak up about how this is not
>> >>>>>>>> acceptable.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>> Briley
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>> On May 15, 2010, at 10:15
>> PM, Valerie Gibson wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> I agree.  Seems
>> to quick to point out someone else's fault and
>> >>>>>>>>> become
>> >>>>>>>>> indignant for all over
>> one person's actions.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> There's just not
>> enough imformation in the article to make such
>> >>>>>>>>> judgement
>> >>>>>>>>> calls.  We can
>> only say what we would do in that situation, and
>> >>>>>>>>> while
>> >>>>>>>>> we
>> >>>>>>>>> don't know this girl's
>> background or mental capabilities it seems
>> >>>>>>>>> unfair
>> >>>>>>>>> to point fingers.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> Perhaps she did not
>> know that there are organisations like the NFB
>> >>>>>>>>> who
>> >>>>>>>>> could help her.
>> Perhaps she has been told all of her life that she
>> >>>>>>>>> needs
>> >>>>>>>>> sighted help in
>> everything.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> We've all been in a
>> position where we did not know how to do things,
>> >>>>>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>>>> judging that you have
>> found this mailing list, you've found the NFB
>> >>>>>>>>> as
>> >>>>>>>>> well as a sense of
>> endependance.   Not everyone has done so.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> Does it look bad for
>> the blind community? Yes.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> But how's this for a
>> solution: try and find this girl and tell her
>> >>>>>>>>> that
>> >>>>>>>>> there are places where
>> she can learn a bit of independance.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>> On May 15, 2010, at
>> 8:33 PM, Darrell Shandrow wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> Hello Sarah and
>> all,
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> I think we may
>> want to exercise care before judging this situation
>> >>>>>>>>>> too
>> >>>>>>>>>> quickly.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> Many times while
>> traveling by air, flight attendants have asked
>> >>>>>>>>>> that
>> >>>>>>>>>> I
>> >>>>>>>>>> wait until the
>> plane has emptied before leaving. Sometimes I do
>> >>>>>>>>>> this
>> >>>>>>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>>>>> sometimes I
>> don't.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> If Jessica were
>> asked to wait, then she were forgotten, then she
>> >>>>>>>>>> certainly does
>> have a very legitimate complaint here.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> We also need to
>> keep in mind that members of the blind community
>> >>>>>>>>>> have
>> >>>>>>>>>> wide ranging
>> capabilities and other disabilities with which they
>> >>>>>>>>>> must
>> >>>>>>>>>> cope.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> As always, this
>> just comes down to the fact we all must exercise
>> >>>>>>>>>> our
>> >>>>>>>>>> due
>> >>>>>>>>>> diligence while
>> performing our jobs to avoid problems of this sort.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> On 5/15/2010 4:19
>> PM, Sarah Alawami wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> I think she
>> should have gotten off the plain by her self. How hard
>> >>>>>>>>>>> can
>> >>>>>>>>>>> that be?
>> just  get off and turn right and go up the ramp thing
>> and
>> >>>>>>>>>>> turn
>> >>>>>>>>>>> left and get
>> out and then wait for your escort. but here's the
>> >>>>>>>>>>> story.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Airline
>> apologizes for forgetting blind teen
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Edmonton
>> Journal , May 15, 2010
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> United
>> Airlines has apologized to a blind woman from Vancouver
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Island
>> >>>>>>>>>>> who
>> >>>>>>>>>>> was abandoned
>> on an empty plane in Chicago.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Jessica Cabot
>> of Courtenay, B.C., made headlines this week after
>> >>>>>>>>>>> she
>> >>>>>>>>>>> went
>> >>>>>>>>>>> public about
>> being forgotten in an empty United Airlines plane on
>> >>>>>>>>>>> an
>> >>>>>>>>>>> April 7
>> >>>>>>>>>>> stopover in
>> Chicago.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> The
>> 18-year-old was waiting for flight attendants to escort her
>> to
>> >>>>>>>>>>> a
>> >>>>>>>>>>> connecting
>> flight to Florida when she heard the plane door seal
>> >>>>>>>>>>> shut.
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Ten
>> >>>>>>>>>>> minutes later
>> two maintenance staff happened to find her on an
>> >>>>>>>>>>> unscheduled
>> >>>>>>>>>>> check of the
>> plane.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> She panicked
>> in the plane, calling for help.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> After a series
>> of complaints, Cabot received a $250 airline
>> >>>>>>>>>>> voucher
>> >>>>>>>>>>> and
>> >>>>>>>>>>> the
>> >>>>>>>>>>> promise of an
>> apology. Five weeks after her flight and a series of
>> >>>>>>>>>>> news
>> >>>>>>>>>>> stories later,
>> she finally got one.
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> "They just
>> called," said Cabot, on the phone from Jacksonville,
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Fla.,
>> >>>>>>>>>>> where
>> >>>>>>>>>>> she is
>> visiting her fiance. "I can't even count how many times
>> >>>>>>>>>>> they
>> >>>>>>>>>>> said
>> >>>>>>>>>>> sorry."
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> _______________________________________________
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