[blindkid] Missed Flight

Sun Jun 14 02:42:44 UTC 2009

Hi, I have to agree with Heather. It is not the airline's responsibility to 
assure people get on the plain. If they had accepted assistance and were 
left that would be different, but they declined the help. You can't just 
have the parts of assistants you want. They should of been watching the time 
and when it was time and they hadn't heard any announcements inquired about 
the flight. Sorry they had to wait, but a formal complaint is only going to 
make other blind people have to fight for their right to be left alone. If 
you complain they are going to think that have to assist all blind people. 
I'm sure the girls will be more careful on their return.

Bran

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "H. Field" <missheather at comcast.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 4:10 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Missed Flight

> Hello Kim,
>
> Here's my thoughts as a blind adult who flies quite a bit.
> I believe the airlines acted according to the girls wishes. The girls
> didn't ask for assistance and they were not bothered by being given
> any. I must say that when I fly, even when I don't request assistance,
> I am constantly bothered by airlines personnel who insist on giving it
> to me.
>
> I never rely on the speakers so whether they are working or not
> doesn't concern me. I simply make a note of when my aircraft is to
> board. I keep track of the time and I stand up and find the
> appropriate door for boarding when it's time to do so. I only
> occasionally pre-board, if I'm not feeling well or I have bulky
> carry-on things. In that situation I do the same. I usually ask what
> time the pre-board will start when I am getting my pre-board pass.
> Then, I note the time and go to the desk by the door when it's time to
> do so.
>
> So, I believe that it is the girls' fault that they missed their
> flight. One cannot have one's cake and eat it too. If one doesn't
> request the assistance that the airline offers, then one cannot expect
> that the airline will assist, and get upset when things go wrong
> because one didn't take responsibility for one's own boarding. Were
> the girls listening to what was going on around them while waiting for
> their flight to board? Usually there is quite a lot of noise when a
> boarding takes place. Or, were they listening with head-phones on?
> Even when I expect the speakers to be working, when the time to board
> approaches I usually listen carefully and can hear where the line is
> and the staff is talking to passengers, tearing boarding passes etc.
> So, there are plenty of audio cues that it is time to board, or at
> least time to ask someone what's going on.
>
> It would have been nice if the airlines had gone out of their way to
> tell the girls. But, the ultimate responsibility to get yourself on
> the plane is the passenger's - blind or sighted. Even when one has
> asked for assistance from airline staff, this is no guarantee that you
> will catch your flight. On at least two occasions in very large
> airports when I was flying on a tight connection schedule, I have
> asked for assistance and was told I would have to wait for a car or a
> person. However, I kept track of the time and went to the desk and
> explained if I didn't receive assistance immediately I would miss my
> flight. On one occasion they stopped a passing car and asked him to
> divert to my gate. I arrived just as the last passengers were sitting
> down. On the second occasion a desk clerk assisted me to my gate
> instead of waiting for the official assistant person. In that case I
> boarded with the last passengers.
>
> In both of these cases I would most certainly have missed my plane if
> I had waited for assistance. Even if the speakers were working at my
> gate we wouldn't have heard them as I was in a large airport. But, I
> understand that the responsibility to get myself on that plane is mine
> and I do my best to be in control of my situation and get myself where
> I need to be when I need to be there.
>
> So, in my opinion as a blind traveller, the fault is with the girls
> for missing their flight. They have watches and they should have kept
> track of the time and taken themselves to the boarding door when it
> was time. This has nothing to do with their blindness except for
> highlighting their assumption that people will help them because they
> are blind, even if they say they don't need help. I believe this is a
> very valuable life lesson for the girls. They have learned that the
> buck stops with them.
> In your position, I wouldn't complain to the airport except perhaps to
> say that, if the gate staff knew that the speakers weren't working
> then they should have alerted passengers to this fact. Furthermore, I
> wouldn't give the girls any sympathy. Instead, I would empathise with
> them saying I was sorry that they had let this happen, but that it was
> their own fault and that their is no point blaming others.
>
> I hope my perspective is helpful. It's tough being a mum when things
> like this happen.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Heather Field.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kim Cunningham" <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
> To: "Blindkid" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 2:33 PM
> Subject: [blindkid] Missed Flight
>
>
> I am so mad right now! My daughter and another blind friend left
> Houston this morning heading to Colorado Center for the Blind in
> Denver. They are both attending the Earn and Learn Program for eight
> weeks. My daughter's flight was booked by our local DARS agency and
> since they booked a couple of days before they were to leave, they
> were unable to get a direct flight. The girls were to change planes in
> Dallas. My daughter was very confident in her abilities to get to the
> right gate and make the connection. She has flown several times by
> herself and had no worries. So, the girls got off the plane in Dallas
> and were met by airport personnel. My daughter informed him that she
> didn't need the cart and would find the gate if he could point her in
> the right direction. Apparently, one of the passengers offered to show
> them to their gate and my daughter allowed. My daughter told me that
> she walked in front of the passenger and found the gate on her own and
> was
> feeling very proud of herself. The passenger left the girls at the
> gate and the girls then proceeded to get a pre-board pass. There were
> no seats in the pre-boarding area, so the girls sat in a row of seats
> next to this area. After waiting to hear boarding information, my
> daughter went to the desk and was told that they missed their flight!
> Appparently the speakers were not working in this area and no one from
> the airlines came to tell them of the flights departure. Does this
> happen to blind people often? Should there have been something else
> that my daughter should have said or done while at the check-in desk?
> I spoke to the supervisor and she was so rude to me! I asked her how
> can someone check in for a pre-board pass and then no one ever make
> sure that the passenger knows when the flight is boarding (especially
> if the passenger has a white cane and the airlines already know the
> speaker doesn't work)? This lady said - "Well, we don't know IF the
> girls were in the pre-board area (insinuating they left the gate) and
> we didn't even know they were there (although the girls had pre-board
> passes). Since I was upset, I expressed my dismay about not being able
> to trust the airline upon which the supervisor told me the only way to
> make sure that your children are safe is to fly with them! This
> statement made me feel as though she was saying I wasn't a good
> mother. I really expected to here her apologize as soon as she got on
> the phone, but instead, she didn't want to assume any of the blame for
> the situation. I plan to file a complaint on Monday with their
> customer service department, but I need to understand whether the
> airlines have any requirements to make sure that blind people of
> properly notified of flight status. Southwest Airlines knew that the
> speaker wasn't working, but did not tell the girls. Now I'm sitting at
> home in Houston worrying about if the girls will make their next
> flight (4-1/2
> hours later). Both of the girls are in good moods and reading braille
> books and listening to their Victor Stream at the moment. The people
> at CCB are going to have to go out of their way to pick up the girls
> at a much later time also. Y'all tell me - Am I being an
> over-protective mother or do I have a right to be upset with the way
> Southwest Airlines deals with blind passengers?
> One pee-o'd Mom,
> Kim Cunningham
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