[nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight

Wed Oct 20 14:19:15 UTC 2010

It is not just American Airlines.  I have encountered issues from time to
time on many different airlines.  It is not anything more in most cases than
ignorance on the part of flight crew and/or gate attendants.  

The last flight I was on was from Charlotte NC to Indianapolis IN.  It was
evening and the flight attendant instructed me and my girl friend to remain
in our seats if there were an emergency.  She said, "someone will try to
come back for you after the plane is empty if we can."  I replied, "I am
probably the only person on this plane who is used to working without eye
sight.  So I am probably the only person who would be able to function in an
emergency.  So I think I'll try to help you if there is an emergency."  She
did not like it.

I also had a gate attendant start to give me the "I have to take that cane"
line on the out-bound part of that trip.  I always encourage them to go
ahead and call security.  I generally also encourage them to review the
regulations before they do it, though.  After I point out to them that they
will find that my cane is allowed by the regulations they shut up and leave
me alone.    

Thanks, William

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jeanette Fortin
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 10:00 AM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight

this is aweful, but i fly American Airlines all the time and have never had 
any trouble with them at all as a matter of fact i  have found them to be 
the most comfortable to fly on. jeanette
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Heim" <john at johnheim.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 7:55 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight

http://kdka.com/local/blind.man.flight.2.1971310.html
A blind man was told if he tried to use his cane he'd be removed from a
flight and arrested and now he's asking for an apology.

Bill Diamond is legally blind and sees nothing from his left eye and shadows
from his right eye. He lost his sight 15 years ago due to diabetes.

He's a Navy veteran and spent 13 years in the service. It was on a recent
trip to a special veterans school in Chicago to learn how to use a talking
computer where he ran into real trouble on an American Airlines flight.

"American Airlines just wants customers who can see - it's not going to be a
burden to them," he said. "Anybody with a disability is going to be a burden
to American Airlines."

Diamond caught his flight to Chicago out of Pittsburgh. He was brought to
the plane in a wheelchair. He got on board using his cane and was told he
had to give it up even though it was folded up.

"I says, 'I need my cane.'

"She goes, 'Sir, if you refuse to give up your cane, I will have no
alternative but to call security,'" Diamond recalled.

Faced with possible arrest, Diamond gave up the cane, sat on a nearly
two-hour flight unable to get up and move around even though he needed to
use the bathroom.

"The stewardess acted like, 'Oh no, not another disabled person on my
flight,'" he said.

On his way back from Chicago, Diamond flew United. They had no problem with
his cane. He used it to get to the men's room. He says it gave him his
dignity back and his freedom.

"That's my independence, that's my mode of travel, that's how I learned to
travel being visually impaired," Diamond said. "They're taking something
from me that I've learned to use."

KDKA's Marty Griffin spoke with American Airlines Monday. They said they
were investigating the matter and offered no further comment.

Griffin could find no evidence indicating the use of a folding cane on a
flight is determined to be against the policy of any airline.

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