[nagdu] NFB and Airlines

[Chasity Jackson]

Very very well said Peter! Amen to that!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:50 PM
Subject: [nagdu] NFB and Airlines


> Good afternoon everyone,
>
>    In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s we've had various airline 
> and
> airtravel regulatory officials at our national conventions. The
> receptiveness of these individuals to our concerns was mixed at best. If 
> you
> can get your hands on them listen to recordings from the 1978, 1983, 1984,
> 1985, 1986, 1987, and the 1988 national conventions; 1986 in particular. 
> The
> entire afternoon session on the first day of general sessions was taken up
> with matters related to the airlines. Dr. Jernigan's reaction, and that of
> others to the way we were treated by some of the airline officials to our
> concerns with  quite disgusting. Dr. Jernigan was so angry that we didn't
> have a closing door prize that afternoon. I know because I was there.
>
>    I find it sad to think that despite passage of the Air Carrier Access
> Act which has been in force since 1986 we're hearing about an alarming
> number of cases of mistreatment of the blind and other disabled 
> individuals
> by the nation's airlines. It's no wonder some of us are looking for
> alternatives to traveling on the flying bus. Perhaps the airlines need a
> reminder that we didn't go away and will take additional action to end the
> abuse of blind passengers by them.
>
> Peter Donahue
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] US Airways Responds To Criticism From
> DisabledPassengers
>
>
> I went on the website and read a comment. There is one comment there from 
> a
> lady that said, "Then if something happens, they sue the airline. Maybe 
> they
> should have "rent-a-companion" for people who need help. What a stupid
> uninformed person.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Passle Helminski" <passle at roadrunner.com>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 4:08 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] US Airways Responds To Criticism From Disabled Passengers
>
>
>> >
>>><http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=117192&catid=158&GID=VIcPW/3mzmqUWYQrnCud/KWmoOjUm3RCzpLcNm+02MI%3D>http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=117192&catid=158&GID=VIcPW/3mzmqUWYQrnCud/KWmoOjUm3RCzpLcNm+02MI%3D
>>>
>>>US Airways Responds To Criticism From Disabled Passengers
>>>
>>>A US Airways employee allegedly deemed the frequent business traveler 
>>>"too
>>>disabled to fly" without an assistant. And apparently, that wasn't an
>>>isolated case.
>>>
>>>"This is a flat out issue of civil rights," said Johnnie Tuitel. He has
>>>cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, but that hasn't kept Tuitel from
>>>logging half a million miles of business travel on airlines. But on a
>>>recent flight, a US Airways employee removed Tuitel from his seat and 
>>>told
>>>him he was "too disabled to fly alone."
>>>
>>>"We're sitting together on the plane, something happens. Are you going to
>>>help me? Of course you will," said Tuitel.
>>>
>>>US Airways has a policy that requires passengers with severe mobility
>>>impairments to travel with someone to help them evacuate in the event of
>>>an emergency.
>>>
>>>"Well we passed the civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities 
>>>Act,
>>>20 years ago, but that doesn't change attitudes overnight," said Andy
>>>Imparato, the President and CEO of the American Association of People 
>>>with
>>>Disabilities.
>>>
>>>"I was furious. And I was angry," said Jim Dickson. He was so upset
>>>because a similar incident happened to him, also on US Airways. Blind,
>>>Dickson always travels with his service dog, Pierson. They flew from DC 
>>>to
>>>Charlotte without a hitch. But after boarding the next flight, he was 
>>>told
>>>to get off.
>>>
>>>"It's just infuriating. And I basically don't fly USAir anymore," said
>>>Dickson.
>>>
>>>Luckily, he'd packed the paperwork three US Airways agents told him he
>>>wouldn't need -- verification that Pierson is a service dog and up to 
>>>date
>>>on his shots. Dickson was eventually allowed to return to his seat and 
>>>fly
>>>to his destination.
>>>
>>>Written by Andrea McCarren
>>>9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/chasityvanda%40charter.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/pdonahue2%40satx.rr.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/chasityvanda%40charter.net