Paralympic and disability advocate Karni Liddell has called on Australian airlines to improve the treatment of people with disabilities after they told her she could not take her wheelchair on a Jetstar flight.
Liddell had been booked on a morning flight from Brisbane to Proserpine to the Whitsundays, where she was to attend a domestic violence workshop as a speaker.
But at the airport she was told that her wheelchair, which contains a lithium battery, was not allowed with her on board.
Paralympic and disability advocate Karni Liddell said she is afraid to fly after several incidents with airlines and staff. (new)
“As soon as this happened I knew I wasn’t going to fly,” he said.
“An hour later, she (the crew member) said, ‘Ma’am, you can fly but you can’t take a wheelchair.’
“I said ‘it would be like telling you to fly and just get your legs out’ and she said ‘stop being rude to me’.”
Liddell said that despite having a certificate of dangerous goods issued by Qantas and Jetstar, the swimmer and Paralympic speaker was told that she had to give five days’ notice and fill in the relevant documentation to transport the wheelchair. on the fly.
In a statement, a Jetstar spokesman said the company had contacted him personally and apologized to Liddell, issuing him a refund and a travel voucher.
“Unfortunately, your reservation was made through a travel provider and did not include the requirement to travel in a 25-pound wheelchair with a lithium battery,” the company said.
“Carrying a 25-pound lithium battery on our plane requires special authorization before the flight departs.”
Jetstar said Liddell had received a refund and a flight voucher as an apology for the incident. (new)
Liddell said the incident was one of many more than a decade of flying and that he was often stopped flying or denied boarding permission.
“My friends have heard a hundred stories about me and the airlines,” Liddell said.
“I’m very used to this happening to me, so I was already nervous about flying. I’m very anxious to fly.”
Another factor is the fear that the airline staff will damage your wheelchair.
“Every friend of mine could tell you a story about his broken wheelchair,” Liddell said.
“I just want to be able to come with my son on vacation and not have my wheelchair broken.”
Liddell said he wants airlines to treat wheelchair passengers as people. (new)
Liddell called on all airlines to improve their handling of wheelchair users and better staff training to help people with disabilities.
“I want them to treat us like people and passengers and customers,” he said.
“I’ve never been treated like a customer.”
Do you know more? Contact journalist Marina Trajkovich at marina.trajkovich@nine.com.au