Influencer shows how she travels around the world as a blind person
Molly Burke is nearly blind and has had many difficulties traveling through an airport.
Employee video, USA TODAY
- Travelers who rely on mobility aids may face additional challenges if they discover that the equipment is damaged upon arrival abroad.
- A little advance travel planning can go a long way toward ensuring a smooth trip.
- If something goes wrong, it is important to report it quickly and know what is expected from the airlines.
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Daniela Joseph said that although she enjoys traveling, a broken wheelchair prevents her from flying much.
She flew with TAP Air Portugal from her home in Virginia via Lisbon to Frankfurt, Germany, in April, and when she arrived for her connecting flight, she says her wheelchair was damaged.
“The backrest was completely bent, the tire wouldn’t lock properly into the chair,” she told USA TODAY. “The brakes are broken, which means I can’t stop my chair from rolling. The seat is torn.”
For Joseph, the situation was made more difficult by the fact that she spends her time alternately in Germany and the USA and her wheelchair was delivered to her in the States.
“No German dealer wants to work with a chair made in America,” she said. “When it comes to an estimate, they can’t give a real estimate because they don’t know the prices that are being asked in the United States.”
Travelers who rely on mobility aids may face additional challenges if they discover that the equipment is damaged upon arrival abroad.
“You’re completely dependent on what happens to the wheelchair,” Joy Burns, alliance and organizing coordinator at Wheel the World, told USA TODAY.
Wheel the World is a tour and travel booking site aimed at travelers with special accessibility needs.
While Burns acknowledged that damaged mobility equipment can ruin even the most carefully planned vacation, he said there are some basic things disabled travelers can do to minimize the risk of damage or save the trip if damage does occur.
1. Plan ahead
Burns said some travel planning in advance can go a long way toward ensuring a smooth trip.
She recommends sticking with U.S. airlines even when traveling internationally because if there is a loss, it’s often easier to negotiate with American companies once travelers return than trying to keep tabs on an airline with offices abroad. Plus, Burns says, the regulations and expectations for airlines in the U.S. are pretty clear, even if they’re not always perfectly followed.
She also said it’s important to let your airline know in advance about your accessibility needs.
“Make sure you call the airline in advance,” said Burns. “On some flights there is no room for an electric wheelchair, the cargo hold is not big enough. You need to know in advance.”
Burns added that booking with a specialty company like Wheel the World can also help make a traveler’s itinerary more accessible overall.
Damage to the wheelchair on the plane: More than 30 passengers were affected
2. Know your rights
If something goes wrong, it is important to report it quickly and know what is expected from the airlines.
Under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations and the Air Carrier Access Act, which apply to U.S. airlines and generally to all international flights departing from the U.S., airlines are generally liable for damage to mobility devices.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation show that U.S. airlines damaged about 1.38 percent of the mobility devices they handled in 2023.
When traveling to another country on a foreign airline or returning to the U.S. from abroad, local regulations usually apply, so travelers need to check the laws of the country they are visiting. European airlines, for example, are not necessarily required to cover the full cost of repairing or replacing a wheelchair, even if they caused the damage, according to wheelchairtravel.org.
Manual wheelchairs can often be stowed in the cabin and do not need to be checked in. Burns recommends that power wheelchair users take extra precautions to protect their devices in the cargo hold if possible.
3. Find a local provider
Burns says it’s a good idea to research local wheelchair providers beforehand so you’re prepared if something goes wrong.
“The first thing you should do before you travel is to find out where the nearest repair shop is,” she said. “If the damage is so severe that the chair is no longer usable, visit the local dealer and ask if they have a loaner chair.”
Of course, as Joseph learned first-hand, local dealers cannot always help, especially with major repairs.
“I’m thinking of maybe getting a cheaper travel wheelchair that can be dismantled so that I can put it in the luggage rack when I travel and giving up my everyday wheelchair, but what guarantee is there that it won’t get damaged?” she said.
Burns acknowledged that a rental chair or on-site repair may not be ideal for some wheelchair users.
“Wheelchairs are so customized to the person, and it really depends on the disability. People with a more severe disability are going to have a much harder time finding a replacement,” she said. “It’s not just a chair your grandmother could use.”
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. Reach him at [email protected].
