Many people think that having a disability limits their ability to explore the world, but Cory Lee is proof that this isn’t the case. The award-winning travel blogger has been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy since he was 2 years old and has used a wheelchair for most of his life. He has traveled all over the world and continues to do so without any problems.
Several features make traveling by plane easier for wheelchair users. The most important one is having the right equipment available on the flight. When Cory Lee’s Delta flight from Santiago, Chile recently landed in Atlanta, Georgia, he was looking forward to deplaning after the long trip. After inquiring about his power chair being at the jet bridge, he was informed that it wasn’t there yet. He asked to wait for his power chair to be at the jet bridge per the law and the flight attendants were not happy. They said, “He just doesn’t want to get off the plane” and they told him that if he didn’t exit the plane that TSA would make him “get off the aircraft with all their guns and stuff.”
Lee’s request falls under the Air Carrier Access Act.
The U.S. Department of Transportation website reads, “You can request that your wheelchair or walker be returned to you on the jet way at your destination airport and not the baggage claim area. Airlines are required to return wheelchairs to users as closely as possible to the door of the aircraft if requested.”
Providing accessible travel options isn’t just important from an individual level – it’s important from a societal level as well. Everyone should have access to air travel, this is why airlines must continue to invest in creating more accessible options for disabled passengers – not just because it’s legally required, but because it’s morally necessary as well.
