Air Canada is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The airline was recently compelled to issue an apology after a man with spastic cerebral palsy, Rodney Hodgins, was left with no choice but to drag himself off a plane when the airline failed to provide him with a wheelchair. Here’s the full story.
Anniversary Trip Turns Nightmarish
Rodney Hodgins, a 49-year-old hardware salesman hailing from British Columbia, embarked on a journey to Las Vegas in the company of his wife, Deanna, to celebrate their anniversary in August.
Airplane’s Challenging Landing
However, their celebratory trip took an unexpected and distressing turn when their plane touched down in Las Vegas.
A Distressing Dilemma
The troubling episode began when the flight attendant informed the couple that there wasn’t enough time to arrange for a wheelchair to assist Rodney before the plane had to prepare for its next takeoff.
Deanna Hodgins detailed this unfortunate incident in a recent online post, shedding light on their harrowing experience.
Unbelievable Request
According to her account, when the flight attendant conveyed that Rodney Hodgins would have to disembark unaided, the couple initially believed it was a jest.
To their astonishment, the flight attendant repeated her request, stating that Rodney had to pull himself off the plane independently.
An Astonishing Response
“I said, ‘Of course I can’t. I’m in a wheelchair. I can’t walk,'” Rodney recounted in an interview with the Canadian Press.
A Physically Demanding Ordeal
In a situation that no passenger should ever have to face, Rodney Hodgins found himself compelled to rely on his upper body strength to maneuver himself past 12 rows of seats while his wife, Deanna, did her best to assist by holding his legs.
The Emotional Toll
Deanna Hodgins expressed the profound emotional and physical distress that this incident caused the couple.
“It took us struggling, in front of a dozen people as some looked away and others looked on with shame, to get him off that plane… he hurt his legs and I hurt my back – emotionally a lot more was hurt… my husband’s human rights were trampled on, and Air Canada won’t respond to us, and never did reach out like they promised,” she wrote.
“Rod is the most beautiful human on the planet and didn’t deserve this at all.”
Eight Months of Planning
The Hodginses had meticulously planned their anniversary trip for eight months and ensured they had addressed all necessary requirements.
However, the severe lapse in assistance from Air Canada left them deeply disillusioned. Deanna expressed her frustration with the airline: “Air Canada failed us in every sense.”
Air Canada’s Response
Air Canada did acknowledge the inadequacy of support Rodney Hodgins received and released a statement explaining the situation.
According to the airline, they utilize the services of a third-party wheelchair assistance specialist in Las Vegas to ensure safe transport on and off the aircraft.
Promising an Investigation
The company also affirmed its commitment to investigating how this service lapse occurred and evaluating alternative mobility assistance service providers in Las Vegas.
A Disturbing Pattern
Regrettably, this isn’t the only recent incident involving Air Canada and passengers with disabilities.
Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer’s Experience
In October, Canada’s chief accessibility officer, Stephanie Cadieux, had her wheelchair misplaced during a flight. She described the experience as “immensely frustrating and dehumanizing.”
Calls for Improved Accessibility
Cadieux’s unfortunate incident emphasized the pressing need for airlines to enhance their accessibility services.
Compensation Offered
As for Rodney Hodgins, he was offered a C$2,000 flight voucher by Air Canada as compensation for the distressing episode. However, he stressed that no amount of compensation could truly rectify the problem of how the airline failed its disabled passengers.
A Quest for Change
“I just wanted to make a difference for somebody else, so they don’t have to experience that again,” he remarked, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that such incidents are not repeated and that disabled passengers receive the respect and support they deserve.
The post Air Canada Apologizes for ‘Third-Party Wheelchair Assistance’: Passenger With Cerebral Palsy Forced to Self-Transport off Plane first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Vytautas Kielaitis. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
