Airport Indignities One More Time

Airport Indignities One More Time

The Braille Monitor

December,

2003

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Airport Indignities

One More Time

by Joyce Scanlan

Joyce Scanlan

The airline bogeyman

is still out there, but Federation unity again triumphs. Remember the days when

air travel for blind people was a constant hassle? Our flight experience in

those days conditioned us to anticipate numerous problems as we dealt with airlines.

Would we be forced to preboard? Would flight attendants confiscate our white

canes? Would our preassigned seats be challenged because we had been placed

in an exit row? Would we be forced to listen to a preflight briefing, when everything

said to us was also repeated to all passengers over the public address system?

Since

implementation of the Air Carrier Access Act in 1990, air travel for blind people

has calmed down, becoming almost tolerable as we began to be treated with respect

and common decency. These routine problems, many of us had begun to think, were

now something from the forgotten past. And yet it all came back for many of

us recently as we returned from our 2003 national convention in Louisville,

Kentucky.

Twenty

to thirty blind people were spread out over gates 10 and 12 in the Louisville

Airport waiting for our Northwest Airlines flight to Minneapolis to be called.

Everyone was happily chatting, recounting the events of another successful national

convention.

At

last the long-awaited announcement of our flight came, offering preboarding

to first-class passengers and those needing a little more time, etc. Because

we were all seasoned travelers, we remained seated until our specific rows were

called. Then came a second announcement to the effect that "all those requiring

a preflight briefing must preboard." Since this also did not apply to this

group of blind people, we still remained seated.

Then

an authoritarian male voice came on saying, "We have about thirty handicapped

passengers who must preboard the airplane." This was immediately followed

by "We apologize to our other passengers if this flight is delayed by the

refusal of these special needs passengers to preboard." This tasteless

and humiliating statement caused all of us, without a single dissenting vote,

to sit tight. The announcer then went on to board the plane in the usual manner

from the rear to the front, and all of the blind people boarded when our rows

were called.

All

passengers boarded the plane, and the flight departed for Minneapolis on time.

No delay occurred, except for that caused by the panic-stricken ground crew,

who called the flight back to the gate because an electrical panel had been

left open and needed to be closed.

I

have flown on Northwest Airlines approximately once each month for many years

and have come to regard that airline with admiration because of the way ground

and flight crews throughout the country treated me. Of course, if one lives

in Minneapolis, Northwest is the most likely airline to go most places in the

United States. I knew on July 5 as we were leaving Louisville that many blind

people would be returning to their homes on our flight. It never occurred to

me that we would be treated as we were by the Louisville ground crew. I found

the announcements appalling.

The

reaction of the Federation crowd also caught me a little off guard. In the past,

as the anger and fear of airline personnel escalated, our reactions too might

have escalated. The reaction of Federationists present was to take everything

in stride. In a unified but spontaneous response, everyone sat quietly as these

rude and insulting announcements came over the loudspeaker. No one jumped up

to confront this attack on blind people. Instead everyone behaved responsibly

and maturely in order not to delay the flight or cause undue disruption.

We

have, however, written letters to Northwest Airlines officials drawing attention

to the incident as calling for education of ground and air personnel on the

courteous and appropriate treatment of blind passengers. Here is the letter

I sent on behalf of blind passengers of that flight:

July

16, 2003

Mr. Richard H. Anderson,

Chief Executive

Officer

Northwest Airlines,

Inc.

Dear

Mr. Anderson:

Many

years have passed since I felt compelled to write to Northwest Airlines to call

attention to a problem involving poor treatment of blind passengers by airline

personnel. Because I have personally experienced such positive and even-handed

treatment by both ground and flight personnel as I travel, mostly on Northwest

Airlines, all over the country, I was both appalled and disappointed at an incident

which took place as I was returning from Louisville, Kentucky, to Minneapolis

recently.

On

July 5, 2003, a number of blind passengers had gathered at gates 10 and 12 in

the Louisville Airport to await Northwest flight 873 to Minneapolis. We had

all attended the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind held

at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville during the previous week. Everyone was

cheerfully conversing and recounting the events of a very exciting convention.

The first announcement of our flight was the routine statement by a female member

of the ground crew about preboarding. Something about "first-class passengers

and those needing a little extra time" being allowed to board at this time

was said. Every blind person present quietly remained seated, because, as competent

and experienced travelers, we saw no reason to respond to that call. Very soon

another announcement came saying, "All those requiring a preflight briefing

are asked to board at this time." Again, as people who regularly travel

by air, everyone remained seated.

The

third announcement was given by a very stern and angry-sounding, authoritarian

male voice. This announcement was greatly escalated in tone and said something

to the effect that "we have about twenty-two handicapped people who need

a special preflight briefing. We want these special needs people to preboard

at this time." Then came the most cutting and rude comment of all. The

announcer went on to say, "If these special needs people do not preboard

at this time, we apologize to all other passengers for the delay this will cause

in our flight today." Although I am sure every blind person in the group

was insulted by this remark, no one rose to board the plane.

Flight

officials then began to board the plane in the usual way, beginning at the back,

and blind people boarded as their rows were called. Everyone was boarded and

settled on time for the flight to take off at its scheduled time. I repeat,

the flight took off at its scheduled time. It should be added, however, that

the flight was called back to the gate because an electrical panel had been

left open and had to be closed before takeoff.

This

entire event might be written off as an isolated incident involving panic-stricken

ground staff on that day. Blind people were never confrontational; they conducted

themselves as responsible citizens and remained calm in the face of uncalled-for,

rude treatment.

I

urge you to provide appropriate education for your ground staff at the Louisville

airport, and I offer the expertise and assistance of the National Federation

of the Blind in providing that education. Regardless of how many blind people

may have been boarding that airplane--I heard anywhere from twenty-two to fifty--the

behavior of the ground personnel was absolutely inappropriate, insulting to

your blind customers, and totally uncalled-for. Such an assault on the dignity

of blind customers is not consistent with Northwest Airlines' service standards.

Thank you for your speedy response to this very serious matter.

Yours

truly,

Joyce Scanlan, President

National Federation

of the Blind of Minnesota

That

was the letter sent to Northwest Airlines regarding this unfortunate incident.

On August 1 Northwest notified me that they were investigating the incident

and would respond within thirty days.

While

I am certain every blind person aboard that flight on July 5 was outraged by

the treatment we received at the Louisville Airport, every single person deserves

commendation for perseverance and tasteful behavior under difficult circumstances.

I think of how it might have been fifteen or twenty years ago. There might have

been some argument or heated debate about what we should or should not do. None

of that occurred on July 5. We were, without discussion or disagreement, a unified,

cohesive group. We can hold our heads high and feel pride in ourselves and in

our unifying organization, the National Federation of the Blind.

There

you have the article that appeared in the Minnesota Bulletin. A number

of people wrote letters to Northwest Airlines. At least one of them received

a response--and a response that would have astonished us fifteen years ago.

Today, while gratifying, it is more an indication of just how much progress

we have made in educating airline officials, even if problems do still occur

from time to time. Here is the text of the letter that Judy Sanders received

to her letter of complaint to Richard Anderson:

August

26, 2003

Ms. Judy Sanders

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Dear

Ms. Sanders:

Richard

Anderson has reviewed your letter and asked that I extend a sincere apology,

on behalf of everyone at Northwest Airlines, for the inappropriate behavior

of our Louisville gate representative on July 5.

As

explained in your correspondence, the gate representative for Flight 873 made

multiple and insistent announcements that persons with disabilities preboard

our flight and indicated that failure to heed his request could result in a

delayed departure. Your point that you had no personal reason to preboard is

well made, and the conduct by our representative that you described is entirely

contrary to the level of service that we want you to receive. Our airport public

contact personnel receive both extensive initial training and frequent recurrent

training. They are informed that our passengers are able bodied and need assistance

only to the extent that they personally request. Additionally, it is stressed

that no passenger is required to take advantage of a preboarding announcement.

The

actions of our gate representative have been discussed with him, and, while

we cannot reveal specifics of any internal or disciplinary action, please be

assured that we are committed to preventing a repetition of your experience.

We

need to hear from our customers and are very glad that you brought this matter

to our attention. You also have the right to contact the U.S. Department of

Transportation's Office of Consumer Affairs if you wish to pursue this matter

further.

Thank

you, again, for writing. Your support of Northwest is appreciated, and we hope

to have the continued privilege of serving your air travel needs.

Sincerely,

Richard Edlund, Administrator

Executive Communications

Northwest Airlines

St. Paul, Minnesota

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