[Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline

[Alan Dicey]

Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline
August 12 2013 at 12:50pm
By Neo Maditla
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Deaf and blind priest Father Cyril Axelrod was refused a seat on a plane to 
Joburg. Picture: Ross Jansen

Cape Town - A deaf and blind priest says he feels "humiliated" following an 
incident at the Cape International Airport on Saturday when British Airways 
staff refused to let him board a plane to Joburg on his own.

On Sunday, Father Cyril Axelrod, 71, of the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in 
Bergvliet, said he spent his time between South Africa and England, where he 
was based, and had had no trouble flying on his own before.

Speaking through a sign language translator, Axelrod said: "I have a 
relationship with a travel agent who knows my travel needs and always 
clarifies them to the airline beforehand."

Axelrod showed the Cape Argus a special tag that British Airways issued to 
him five years ago which has his name on it and clearly states he is allowed 
to travel on his own.

But on Saturday afternoon as he was trying to check in, a BA ground crew 
member said she was not sure if he would be allowed to fly alone and 
proceeded to call a supervisor.

"I explained to them that I have flown alone to South Africa many times. But 
they called the captain, who said no, I am not allowed on the flight. I was 
shocked. I couldn't believe it."

Axelrod said they asked him - through his translator - if he knew the 
emergency procedure and he told them he did and recited it to them, but that 
did not help either.

His ticket was confiscated and he had to return to Bergvliet instead of 
heading to Joburg where he was expected to give a church service on the East 
Rand.

"I feel humiliated. They took away my human rights," he said.

"I feel extremely bad about this. They didn't treat me like a human being.

"They should have asked how I could assist them. They could have learned 
something. They could have asked me and I could have helped them. This is 
not fair."

He is due to fly back to England in September and is worried that he may not 
be allowed to board.

"I was born and raised in South Africa. But I live in England. They know my 
home is in London."

DeafSA's Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen said the incident was a form of 
discrimination and that when DeafSA had tried to get hold of the airline 
through translator Francois Deysel its call centre had been closed.

Newhoudt-Druchen said DeafSA would go to the airporton Monday to try to get 
to the bottom of what had happened and get Axelrod's ticket refunded.

British Airways could not be reached for comment. - Cape Argus

Source URL:
http://www.iol.co.za/travel/travel-news/deaf-blind-priest-grounded-by-airline-1.1560885



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