Canada: Federal government says air travellers with disabilities must be treated better

A meeting between federal government officials and the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) to discuss a shared commitment to do more for air travellers with disabilities was described as “productive and candid.” But the feds say airlines need to do more. "The commitment from the National Airlines Council of Canada to passenger accessibility, including their specific focus on disability awareness and inclusion training and improved mobility device transportation and care, is a positive step toward disability-inclusive air travel,” read a joint statement from Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, and Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport. “We support their endeavour, but more must be done to ensure that persons with disabilities can access equitable and dignified services and no longer face barriers when travelling in Canada.” In the last year, there have been several stories of how some persons with disabilities have received unacceptable treatment when travelling by air. There have been instances of wheelchairs being damaged, passengers with disabilities being separated from their travel companions, and passengers being treated differently because of the lack of disability awareness and training. “Passengers have rights when they travel. They must be treated with respect and dignity throughout their journey, full stop,” the federal government stated.<br/>