[Travelandtourism] What's important to you as a blind air traveler?

Tue May 5 10:20:15 UTC 2015

You need to let them know prior to getting on the plane.

Please also remember they take a long time, because they have other passengers getting off the plane, if you have to get to another get, make sure they know this, if you are just going to get your luggage and meet a car. You are in less than a rush, other people might have to get to another flight. 

As we all know that more and more people are packed onto a plane, so they have more and more people to take care of. 

They might also have passengers who are elderly and sick, they might have to take care of prior to ourselves.

Remember to be patient. If you know the airport like I know my own home airport, I do not need the assistance of the flight attendance, and get myself off the plane. 

Some may not be as independent as others, and that is okay. We need to know what our independence is.

I know people who are very independent that are totally blind that not only travel via the US but internationally.

Best thing I can offer from experience, and I had to learn the hard way, being a person who didn't go blind until almost 15 years ago at the age of 35.

I might need help getting my luggage down from above me, but once I get it. I figure which way is out of the plane, get myself down the ramp to the gate or the stairs, and then if it is a new airport I wait at the gate for assistance, or I just get out of the way on the plane until they can come for me.

They might not have a person to meet every flight at the same time, for assistance to  get your luggage or just to meet a car.

This is when our mobility comes into place. We try and do as much as possible, and if we cannot, we  cannot.

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” 
― Helen Keller

Cheryl Echevarria, President
National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division
A proud division of the 
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-----Original Message-----
From: Travelandtourism [mailto:travelandtourism-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ivonne Mosquera via Travelandtourism
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 12:59 AM
To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
Cc: Ivonne Mosquera
Subject: Re: [Travelandtourism] What's important to you as a blind air traveler?

It would be helpful to have an independent way of calling or texting for assistance, once a flight has landed, to facilitate with connections or exiting the airport. This is typically left up to the flight attendants or the gate agents, and they often forget or take a long time to do it.

Thanks,
Ivonne
www.iminmotion.net

------------------------------
On Tue, May 5, 2015 12:49 AM EDT Phil via Travelandtourism wrote:

>Hi everyone,
>
>My name is Phil. Hope everyone is doing well. This is my first time 
>posting to the Travel and Tourism list but certainly not my first time 
>posting to nfbnet lists. smile I’d like to hear your opinion on this… 
>I’m doing a research project on blind and visually impaired people’s 
>air travel experience. In particular I’d am trying to compile a list of 
>things that you consider would make an booking website, airline or 
>airport “blind-friendly”. Besides obvious things like not barring a 
>blind passenger from boarding, accessible kiosks and accessible apps, 
>what other things are important for you as a blind or visually impaired 
>traveler? It can be both things that are already being done or you wish 
>someday they would do, and it can be both technology-related or staff 
>or corporate policy or even marketing.
>I’m trying to look at this from all 360 degrees and compile a long 
>list, so please feel free to list as many things as you can think of 
>and as brief or detailed as you wish!
>Let’s share and see what each other think!
>Thanks everyone!
>
>Best,
>Phil
>
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