Here’s a round-up of the newest information on the planet of accessible journey and incapacity, together with a few unlucky tales: one being the unlucky loss of life of an airline passenger, and the opposite being the story of a wheelchair consumer tipping over in a shuttle bus. There’s some constructive information too, together with improved entry at a UNESCO World Heritage Website and improved airport safety screening measures for individuals with communication problem.

Accessible Journey Information from Across the Internet

• Alaska Airways Loses Case, Should Pay Up After Wheelchair Person Dies — A jury has awarded $3.2 million to the household of a 75-year-old disabled girl who died after falling down an airport escalator. The defendant, Alaska Airways, was discovered liable as a result of it failed to offer the requested wheelchair help all through the passenger’s journey. Her household mentioned that, after the passenger was left alone, she turned confused and disoriented, which contributed to her falling down the escalator on the Portland, Oregon airport.

• New elevator on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece makes it wheelchair accessible! — After the earlier stair elevate turned unusable, the Acropolis of Athens was not accessible to wheelchair consumer. That modified just lately, when Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis unveiled a brand new elevator on the hill’s north face. This elevator, along with new stone pathways, will make this treasure of Historic Greece and a UNESCO World Heritage Website, accessible as soon as once more to wheelchair customers and disabled individuals. It’s an unbelievable achievement and I’m wanting ahead to visiting!

• Man injured after his scooter suggestions over on airport shuttle bus — The Port of Seattle is anticipated to pay a $2 million settlement after a shuttle bus passenger tipped over in his mobility scooter throughout a trip from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport to the off-site rental automotive middle. The scooter was not secured within the automobile, and the passenger suffered a spinal fracture because of the incident.

• 2020 aircraft crash survivor flies once more (with the identical airline) — On Could 22, 2020, Zafar Masud, the President and CEO of a financial institution, was flying from Lahore to Karachi, Pakistan onboard Pakistan Worldwide Airways Flight 8303. After a failed touchdown try, the airplane executed a go-around and tried to land a second time. When each engines failed, the aircraft crashed in need of the runway in a densely populated neighborhood. Of the 99 passengers and crew, solely two individuals survived, one among them being Masud. Just lately, he took his first flight for the reason that crash, from Karachi to Lahore, on the identical airline. Resulting from his accidents, he now makes use of a cane and a wheelchair. On the hyperlink, you’ll be capable of hear about how he was feeling earlier than this primary flight again within the air.

• TSA will enhance screening for nonverbal and different disabled passengers — Quite a few states have begun to permit individuals with autism, listening to loss, or different disabilities to decide on to have a “communication obstacle designation” on their driver’s licenses or state ID playing cards. The Transportation Safety Administration has mentioned that it’ll take these designations into consideration when screening disabled passengers at airport safety checkpoints.

• ADA is nice for theatre audiences, however what about entry for disabled actors? — The People with Disabilities Act could be very clear in regards to the entry necessities for theaters and live performance halls, a minimum of with respect to the general public areas seen by patrons and theatre-goers. The legislation falls brief in mandating entry for disabled actors backstage, and lots of theatre teams nonetheless battle with inclusion of their casting processes. This detailed piece in American Theatre brings influential voices within the disabled neighborhood collectively to debate the issue and the way it is likely to be addressed. It’s an attention-grabbing learn for all!

• Daughter says commuters should be extra thoughtful in direction of wheelchair customers — A girl just lately traveled on the metro/subway together with her 84-year-old father, who makes use of a wheelchair. Their expertise led her to say, “I attraction to commuters (particularly youngsters and younger adults) to be extra thoughtful in direction of wheelchair customers.” Discover out what she and her father skilled on this letter to the editor.