A Toronto woman's video has gone viral, shedding light on accessibility issues in air travel. Erika Natividad describes her experience as “horrifying” and explains what she'd like to see change.
A Toronto woman who was whisked off a plane on a broken aisle chair and then dropped down a steep flight of stairs is sharing her experience in the hopes that other air travellers with special access needs don't have to go through the same nightmare.
Tori Lacy, a travel blogger who has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a power wheelchair, recently shared a “horrifying” experience on social media: On an Air Canada Rouge flight from Toronto to Costa Rica earlier this month, Lacy was placed in an aisle chair — a mobility device used on commercial aircraft — and forced to exit the flight using a portable staircase, rather than the jet bridge she had long ago requested.
Lacey said she was not informed in advance that the Costa Rican airport did not have a jet bridge or that there were plans to get off the plane in this way.
“I was very scared. I was very scared that I was going to be dropped,” she told CityNews, referring to a video of her experience that has been viewed more than 10 million times. “I have a neuromuscular condition so I have no tone or control in my neck muscles. The aisle seat gave me no support at all and the seatbelt didn't work properly so I wasn't properly fastened to the chair and my head fell to the side.”
In a statement to CityNews, Air Canada said that while using a bridge is always a preferred option for its customers, especially those with disabilities, “unfortunately, using a bridge was not an option in Costa Rica on this flight.”
“We have procedures in place to ensure that customers with disabilities board and disembark safely on these occasions, and all procedures were followed in this case.”
The airline also said that as part of its accessibility plan, it would review airport procedures, including at smaller airports overseas, with the aim of working with local airports and other partners to find ways to provide a more consistent service.
Air Canada has previously pledged to implement a range of measures, from creating a director of customer accessibility (it already has one) to requiring annual training for 10,000 front-line staff as part of a three-year plan.
Earlier this year, the airline formed an advisory committee of passengers with disabilities and launched its “Sunflower Program,” a lanyard that passengers can wear to let staff know they may need assistance.
“Overall, I think the accessibility of these planes is important. I know this is a bit of a pipe dream, but I would love to be able to board these planes in my wheelchair in my lifetime and avoid all these risky transfers,” Lacey said.
At the National Aviation Accessibility Summit in Ottawa earlier this month, federal ministers said the airline industry had agreed to make several changes to ensure smooth travel for people with disabilities, including agreeing to create streamlined and standardized intake forms at the booking stage for people who need accessibility assistance.
Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the changes needed to be implemented as soon as possible, but refrained from setting a deadline or promising penalties for non-compliance.
Activists are also calling for increased deterrence from Transport Canada, which noted a steady increase in the number of enforcement actions it has taken over the past four years. Fines for all violations, including accessibility violations, against various transportation companies totaled $1.34 million over the past year, up from $54,000 in 2020-21.
But advocates say the problem goes beyond a single airline or regulator, saying “significant flaws” in the Canada Access Act mean problems persist in areas ranging from consultation to assistance protocols, despite the act overhauling regulations in 2020.
Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report
