A woman in Wisconsin is speaking out after she was left in a challenging situation by an airline company. To her disbelief, she found out she wouldn’t be able to board her flight due to the fact that she’s a wheelchair user.
Marissa (@marissa_edob) frustratingly explains, “I was denied boarding a flight because I’m disabled.” Marissa says she never heard of Southern Airways before but decided to purchase a ticket with them due to affordability. She was headed to a speaking engagement in Pennsylvania and her connecting flight was with Southern. When she arrived at the gates, she asked them if they could help her find her boarding pass. She was astounded, however, when one of the workers asked her, “Can you stand?”
When Marissa looked down at her wheelchair and said, “No,” they left her even more baffled by what they said next. The employee told her, “I’m sorry but, because of that, we’re going to have to deny you boarding.” The employees proceeded to explain that there are only stairs to board the flight and no ramps.
Marissa was shocked because she literally never heard of something like that happening before. She asked them, “You’re telling me none of the people who have flown on your plane before are disabled?” They replied, “No. Even the elderly have a hard time getting up those stairs.” This made Marissa question why they never thought of using a ramp in the first place, like any other airline company.
Marissa tried to get the company to understand that disabled people should never be an “afterthought.” She said it’s very clear that they exist, so why wouldn’t they consider them for boarding? She also told them, “This is blatant segregation.” Upon hearing this, they tried to backtrack and also tell her there was a weight issue. Why? Because of her wheelchair, which she needs. In the end, they told her there was no way that she could fly with them.
When Marissa spoke with her manager, who set up the flight, they were livid. Her manager told her that they already spoke with Southern before booking the flight and they said they could help make those accommodations. Everybody was left irritated in the end when the company said it was simply a “miscommunication.” Marissa said that everybody always uses that excuse when they have nothing else. She adds, “My wheelchair is my freedom” and it’s also her “existence.”
This video gained popularity due to its heated subject. Many disappointed viewers called out the company, questioning why they wouldn’t make their flights accessible to disabled people as a whole. One commenter asked, “Isn’t this a violation of the ADA?” to which another replied, “They make it SO impossible to prosecute airlines! And not all states have clauses where you can sue them directly. Oftentimes you need to make a civil rights complaint with the Department of Transportation and the DOT decides whether to do anything. Which spoiler – they usually don’t!”
Other commenters stated that they felt for Marissa during this difficult scenario. As one commenter mentioned, “Being disabled in America is a literal nightmare and I’m so sorry this happened.”
