Anita Pallara is 32 years old, live to Bari with with her parents and a dog. In addition to dealing with digital communication (after graduating in psychology she obtained a master’s degree in digital marketing in Milan), she is the president of the national association FamiglieSMA (spinal muscular atrophy).
Wednesday 7 July Anita, who has been using a motorized wheelchair to get around since she was three years old, writes a post on her Facebook profile to report an episode that caused her serious damage not only material, but above all personal, affecting freedom and autonomy, as well as dignity as a citizen.
Yes, dignity, because if you are a passenger with a disability, today you are most often treated as a commodity, as a “package” to be moved here and there. Seen as a number or code abbreviation, not as a full-fledged person. This, regardless of whether you travel by train, bus or, as in Anita’s case, by plane.
“My nightmare begins on 6 July at 12:35 with flight FR8726 of a low-cost airline that was supposed to take me from Bari to Cagliari”, Anita begins to tell me that, as with every trip, she had organized every detail for boarding.
“We disconnected the contacts, carefully packed the joystick (the knob that allows you to drive electronic wheelchairs, ed), showing the staff how to unlock and lock the brakes in order to manually move my electric wheelchair ».
I guess it’s pretty heavy.
“Mine is 180 kilos and has an ad hoc posture for me to meet my needs, with a mini joystick adapted to my strength, allowing me to move independently”
So totally personalized?
«Exactly, for this reason it is an irreplaceable ‘means’, it is a part of me».
How old was?
“It’s new, I got it in April of this year.”
Not a small detail, this, considering that the aids are prescribable (and therefore granted free of charge by the ASL) not when and how much you want. The “tariff nomenclator”, in fact, provides for a minimum renewal time of five years for folding wheelchairs and six years for those with a rigid frame, just like Anita’s. Ergo: if a wheelchair gets old or breaks down, it is very difficult to get free repairs, much less replacements.
How did you find yourself during the trip?
«The crew was extremely kind, the problem came later. Once I landed in Cagliari I got my wheelchair back completely unusable: broken joystick, broken armrests, broken footrests, dents and tears on the posture… ».
How did he do it if it was unusable?
“I immediately contacted the company of my wheelchair and they promptly assisted me, even if from a distance and, obviously, without being able to solve a similar damage”.
And with the flight company?
“In Cagliari I immediately made a complaint, while” Aeroporti di Puglia “contacted me and gave maximum solidarity as well as support”.
How was such damage possible? Carelessness or disorganization?
“Many airlines do not have a dedicated space in the hold, so the prams are loaded like baggage, as if they were goods. No attention to a literally sacred thing ».
Yet it should be taken for granted.
«Exactly, people with disabilities have the right to travel like everyone else, seeing their rights guaranteed. We are not travelers or second-class citizens ».
Where are you now?
«I’m stuck in Cagliari, I can’t move and I’m sitting very uncomfortable, in fact I stay there very little. My parents have to push me to be able to move (200 kilos in total). The wheelchair company, given the emergency, is sending me a replacement joystick, hoping to stem the situation at least for the holiday “
If it was not possible?
“If this fails, I will have to go home and go to Rome to have the damage to the wheelchair assessed.”
And from a legal point of view?
“We’ll see. In the meantime, I was advised to contact a lawyer who specializes in the protection of travelers. I think I will do it ».
How important is it to enforce certain rights, at all costs?
“It’s a matter of principle for me and for all people with disabilities, we have the right to travel like anyone else.”
If you could improve the travel system for people with disabilities, what would you do first?
«Certainly standardize the regulations throughout the European territory. It is not possible that every airport has an always different modus operandi, with different rules and requests every time. This really creates chaos and guarantees nothing ».
Next trip in the drawer?
«I would like to go back to London and I would love to visit Latin America: there are crazy landscapes there, and as a coffee lover I would love to visit Colombia!».
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
