Misuse of Airport Wheelchair Assistance Puts Disability Services at Risk

Misuse of airport wheelchair assistance by able-bodied passengers is making travel harder for people with disabilities and putting services at risk for those who truly depend on them, according to a pulmonary hypertension (PH) patient.

A recent article highlights the problem of people misusing airport wheelchair assistance to get ahead, stating: "… many able-bodied passengers request wheelchairs for ‘the VIP experience’ — an escort down the jetway that lets them skip the lines and gives them first crack at overhead space. Once they realize at the end of the flight that they have to wait for assistance to disembark, the healing begins." The practice has created challenges for passengers, airport employees, and flight crews.

If you have a rare disease or chronic illness like pulmonary hypertension (PH), then you understand how traveling can feel more like moving homes than going on vacation, given all the extra baggage required for medical equipment and the effort it takes to get through the airport and onto the plane. One symptom of PH is shortness of breath, and a flare-up can affect mobility. In the early years following diagnosis, the patient often rebuffed assistance, too prideful to ask for help, and would end up out of breath, hypoxic, and overexerted before making it to the gate. This is why the patient now gets wheelchair assistance from the ticket counter through boarding the plane.

Arriving at the airport early is important because you never know what crowds or extra-long lines await you. Requesting disability services can also steal more minutes off the clock. At times, the patient has had to remind the airline agent that they were still waiting for assistance, only to have them make multiple calls to fulfill the request, often without an ETA. The recent article suggests that pressure on wheelchair supply and attendants could have more to do with able-bodied travelers looking to cut the line and be among the first to store their bags.

What irks the patient most about the problem is how these impostors can make travel harder for all of us and put services at risk for those who truly depend on them. These impostors foster an environment of stigma, shame, and judgment toward people who use these services. Not all disabilities or health conditions are apparent just by looking at somebody. People with rare diseases like PH might not look like they require additional help at the airport. The availability and timely arrival of these services aren't always assured, which makes their abuse and misuse all the more frustrating.

The patient says they are curious to see whether “miracle flights” continue to strain the availability of assistance services and will be ready to advocate for the community should this problem hinder their ability to see more of the world.