[Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

Gina Minichiello minichiellog at comcast.net
Sun Oct 24 14:26:39 UTC 2010


In September, I did some hopping aroung the country visiting family. I took 6 American Airlines flights and had no problems. I was very impressed with how they treated people with disabilities, and even made comments to several people about it. I experienced, being asked I need assistance to the gate, being paged for pre-boarding, being handed, w/o asking first, a safety manual in Braille/print, and having the flight attendent telling me which rows were the exit rows. I also saw agents waiting with wheelchairs at the gate, ready to assist passengers. 

The article does state he had a folding cane, but it doesn't not state if he was trying to hold on to it for take off which, of course, he would need to stow it. I put my cane in the seat pocket in front of me and have never had a problem.  

Gina Minichiello
NFBF Fundraising Committee Chairperson
Greater Jacksonville Chapter, Treasurer
minichiellog at comcast.net
904-571-9117

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Ellsworth" <jellsworth1 at tampabay.rr.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 9:35:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

Hi all,

I've flown American quite a few times over the years and though I can't say
they are my favorite airline I've never had any trouble.  In fact when
flying back from Philly one year they had room on the plane so just gave me
first class with no one sitting next to me.

Thanks,
Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Kirk
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 12:23 PM
To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!

Rather than banning American Airlines, why can't we train the air staff 
about blindness and the necessity of the white cane to an individuals 
independdence and freedom, just as their eyes are to them? I am sure that 
this Stewardess was going solo on this attitude rather than the  whole darn 
airline.  It falls back on communication and education to help us in the 
long run, not boycotts and bans, ETC. Just one mans opinion! KH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "TaraPrakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!


Aside, how do you define liberals? Those who ask for full context?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "john schwery" <jschwery at embarqmail.com>
To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 7:52 AM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fwd: Ban American Airlines!!


I sent this to the blind-x list and the liberals
on that list snubbed noses at it, saying in
effect, maybe, we don't have the full story.

text of forwarded message follows:
>Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:11:42 -0400
>
>How stupid is this?
>
>text of forwarded message follows:
>
>
>>
>>
>>American Airlines just shot themselves in the foot with this incident!
>>~~~
>>Blind Man Asked To Give Up Cane On AA Flight
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>PITTSBURGH (KDKA)
>>
>>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.
>>
>>(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
>>
>> From Our Neck Of The World, our current weather is:  Silver Springs,
>> Florida Partly Cloudy, 60°F Wind:Calm
>>Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down.
>>Anna
>text of forwarded message ends:
>
>John
>Currently in Ocala, Florida Mostly Clear, 62°F Wind:Calm
>"Wink, I'll do the rest!"
>Created by Weather Signature v1.31 . http://www.weathersig.com
text of forwarded message ends:

John
Currently in Ocala, Florida Clear, 51°F Wind:Calm
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in
their shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot.
Created by Weather Signature v1.31 . http://www.weathersig.com
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