September 20, 2007
News 4 in Jacksonville reports that Andy Gates has taken his dissatisfaction with US Airways to a new level. Mr. Gates reportedly filed a lawsuit against the air carrier for denied boarding; more specifically denied boarding because of his disability, which adds up to discrimination in the lawsuit. I reported on the original incident in my June 9, 2007 blog entry. http://barrierfreetravels.com/serendipity/archives/250-Denied-Boarding-In-Jacksonville.html Granted I don’t think US Airways acted in what I’d term the most reasonable way, but according to the facts that are publicly available I can’t see where they have violated the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). According to the ACAA, airlines can require passengers to fly with an attendant if they consider them too disabled to assist in their own emergency evacuation. I’m not sure what that particular standard is, but I know that you don’t have to be able to walk, just assist. Air France has similar standards and their test is if you can fasten your seat belt unassisted. In the US, basically it’s the call of the air crew. I should also point out that in the US, if the air crew feels you are too disabled to fly, they can appoint a person (usually another passenger) as an "emergency" attendant; however they are not required to do so. It would have been super if US Airways would have just asked the passenger in the adjacent seat if he or she would help out Andy in case of an emergency, but that didn’t happen. So Andy didn’t fly. And that’s why Andy is going to court. He wants to compel US Airways to change their policy, so others won’t suffer the same fate. Tough call, especially since the ACAA says airlines can require an attendant. Perhaps this lawsuit will result in some actual criteria for the "too disabled to assist in your own evacuation" call. Like I said, right now it’s up to the air crew and that can vary from flight to flight. One crew may feel a passenger is good to go, while the next may not. Perhaps standards are needed. Then at least folks would know if they are required to fly with an attendant. The current practice seems too arbitrary. It will be an interesting case to follow.
September 14, 2007
Beginning October 15, there will be some significant changes to the UK’s Blue Badge Scheme. Similar to the Handicapped Parking Placard in the US, the Blue Badge is issued to Brits who require accessible parking spaces. First and foremost, the Blue Badge will be redesigned to include a hologram and other design elements that will make it more difficult to duplicate, in order to prevent fraud. With the number of fake placards available in the US (just check e-bay or your local flee market), this is something that our own government should consider. Our placards are so simply designed that all you need is some white paint, blue plastic and a little time to come up with a convincing fake. And with more and more folks getting legitimate placards, the influx of these fakes severely limits the number of accessible parking spaces. Other changes to the UK Blue Badge Scheme include extending the scheme to disabled children under two years old and to people who drive non-adapted cars yet cannot access parking meters. Seems logical to me, after all these folks need access too. In any case, the US could stand to take a long hard look at their placard system. If the Brits can update theirs, we should at least review ours.
September 8, 2007
If you are thinking about traveling to the mid-Atlantic region of the US, then pick up a copy of Trips and Getaways magazine (www.tripsandgetaways.com). This glossy mainstream magazine not only covers cool things to do in the area, but it also addresses access. In fact, I have to applaud the editorial staff of Trips and Getaways, as they took access into account from get-go, when they contacted me to do a regular column on accessible travel. It's called "Ask the Expert" and in it I answer questions about barrier-free travel in the region. Their target area is anything within a four-hour drive of Baltimore, so if you have a question about access in that area, then drop me an e-mail. I may well answer it in a future issue of the magazine. Kudos to Trips and Getaways for making sure their magazine serves everyone. Accessible travel really is going mainstream!
September 7, 2007
As we were traveling through Oregon this week, I was once again reminded why this is a great state for a road trip for slow walkers and wheelchair-users.
First off, there are just so many scenic drives up here that you can literally spend weeks driving around on the "scenic routes" and official scenic byways. We meandered a bit ourselves yesterday after we looked at a great accessible B&B on the coast. Originally we were going to head straight back to Portland and then up to Washington, but upon the suggestion of the innkeeper we ended up doing a scenic drive to Pacific City and then having a lovely lunch at the Pelican Pub & Brewery. Great ocean view, good access and great food. And if you like a really hoppy brew as I do, be sure and try the Pelican IPA. You won't be disappointed.
But I digress - back to singing the praises of Oregon.
I also noticed as we drove through the state that the restrooms in their highway rest areas are clearly marked with signs that state that an assistant of the opposite sex is allowed to enter the restroom to assist a person with a disability. Granted that's pretty much the law everywhere, but it's nice to see posted in black (well, actually blue) and white, so that everybody understands the situation.
And finally there are the gas stations. Every time we come to Oregon I have to remind Charles that customers are not allowed to pump their own gas up here. That's right, all gas stations are full serve. Somehow I just couldn't see this working in California, but it works fine up here. Of course Charles still has to get our of the car and stand by the gas pump (I guess it's a man thing) but he's not allowed to touch it. But hey, men will be men, right?
OK, time to get packed and hit the road. We have a full day in the Columbia River Gorge before heading north. We covered this area when we did a Columbia River Cruise on the Queen of the West a few years ago, and it's good to be back for more editorial research. It really is a beautiful area, especially in the fall.
September 3, 2007
Labor day is a great day to go to the beach, and this year there’s one more beach out there that is wheelchair accessible. Thanks to the efforts of Dave Mims, Frisco Beach on Cape Hatteras National Seashore now sports a new beach ramp. Dave was frustrated that the only way his daughter (who uses a wheelchair) could access their favorite beach was for him to carry her down the steps at the beach access point. Over the years this became tiring, so Dave wrote to the National Park Service to see how they could fix it. Of course there was a lot of red tape to wade through, but in the end Dave got the permit and raised the $3,900 to build the new access ramp. The ramp opened this summer. So, check it out next time you are in the Outer Banks. It’s located on Highway 12 near milepost 69. Good work, Dave. And Happy Labor Day.
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