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

[Marilyn Baldwin]

    Thank you for sharing this article with us. It is sad that our Deaf-Blind clergyman was forced to face this kind of discrimination because of the ignorance of others who should know better. We still have work to do, in order to insure that blind people in our country and worldwide can live with independence and respect. 
        ?
        Marilyn Baldwin 
        
         
    
        Marilyn Baldwin
    commmdb at aol.com
    
        
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Alan Dicey <adicey at bellsouth.net>
    To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
    Sent: Mon, Aug 12, 2013 5:14 pm
    Subject: [Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline
    
     
         
     
    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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