Subscribe“Disabled People Should Be Treated As Any Other Passenger And As Ordinary Consumers”
(quote from President of European Disability Forum)
European Airports are getting ready for a mass influx of passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility (PRM's - Passengers with Reduced Mobility). Although the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) excludes air transport on the basis that it is outside domestic legislation, the European Commission is taking up the call to set matters to right. In February 2005 they adopted the recommendation proposing that PRM's will be the responsibility of the Airport Operator, and not the Airline.
The Airline, of course, and ultimately the remaining able-bodied passengers, will pay for this service. In Sweden this levy or surcharge amounts to approx. 8p (£0.08) per passenger, but 26p (£0.26) has been suggested in UK where over 2.1 million PRM's use UK airports annually. This amounts to 1% of a staggering 214 million passengers who pass through UK airports every year.
This volume of traffic is set to sharply rise due to:
a) Increased disposable income
b) Cheaper air travel
c) Abundance of packaged tour operators
d) Equal opportunities
e) Government policy
It has been estimated that by 2008 we can expect the number of PRM's who request assistance at UK airports to rise to 1.6% (3.4 million passengers).
The President of the European Disability Forum (EDF), Yannis Vardakastanis, said discrimination towards passengers with disabilities occurs every day throughout Europe. On a regular basis, he said, EDF receives information about disabled air passengers being refused, either booking or the right to travel, on a flight due to their disability. "Such discriminatory or undignified treatment is just unacceptable", Vardakastanis declared.
In order to meet the new legislation a broad spectrum of special equipment may be needed, ranging from on-board wheelchairs to Access and Egress facilities to and from the aircraft right through the terminal to suitable pick-up points. This should include appropriate emergency evacuation plans and risk assessments. Choosing the right equipment will enable PRM's to be able to complete their journey with dignity, and add a new experience to their pre and post flight mobility.
Barry Scholes, Managing Director of Evac+Chair International Ltd believes that Airports worldwide must adopt suitable products to facilitate passenger handling, including stairway ascent/descent devices for all eventualities, and manufacturers must respond to this specialist industry's needs.
Evac+Chair International manufactures a range of chairs to move PRM's either in the aircraft or the airport, including its award winning Evac+Chair and award winning IBEX Transeat and the RollaChair a revolutionary transport chair.