General News
Fearnley fury at wheelchair humiliation in airport
TYRON BUTSON
Paralympian Kurt Fearnley argues his case to Jetstar after he was made to crawl through an airport.
Jetstar has apologised to Paralympian Kurt Fearnley after he slammed the airline for forcing him to check his personal wheelchair in with his luggage.
Fearnley, a wheelchair-marathon champion who last week completed the Kokoda Track on his knees, says he chose to crawl through Brisbane Airport rather than use an unsuitable chair offered by the airline.
The Human Rights Commission will be asked to look into Jetstarโs disability policy after the incident.
Fearnley said this morning he hoped Jetstar would become โโthe most disability-friendly airline in the skyโโ following the incident.
"The one thing Iโm hoping is that they come out of this and create an improved disability service," he said.
"This is not something that has only happened to me - but to others, others who did not turn around and say 'Iโm not going to be treated like a child, Iโm not going to take thisโ.
"Theyโve already apologised, but now I just hope they work out a better policy."
The incident occurred on the weekend after Fearnley returned from crawling the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.
Under Jetstar policy, disabled passengers are required to use a smaller wheelchair, which is able to be maneuvered through the aircraft cabin, to board and disembark planes.
Fearnley told the National Disability Awards dinner last night there was "not a chance that I am going to sit there and be pushed through an airport".
"An able-bodied equivalent, a normal personโs equivalent, would be having your legs tied together, your pants pulled down and be carried or pushed through an airport," he said.
Fearnley said he took issue with the airlineโs wheelchair policy, not the staff.
Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said today personal wheelchairs were tagged and checked in as part of the airlineโs domestic-travel policy.
But he conceded there could be greater consistency in the application of the policy - including the point at which wheelchairs were exchanged - depending on airport infrastructure.
Mr Westaway said the goal was to allow people to stay in their own chairs for โโas long as practicableโโ.
โโWe want to just get what is consistent and which is amenable to all people so we can run an efficient airline at the same time,โโ he told Radio 3AW.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Services Bill Shorten said he would contact Jetstar and the Human Rights Commission.
"Our question to Jetstar is how can you guarantee this wonโt happen again," Mr Shorten said.
"And obviously we will be alerting the Human Rights Commission to whatโs happened."
Jetstar is investigating the incident but says its policy is standard across the industry.
With Robyn Grace and AAP
Additional Information
Country: Australia
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/fearnley-fury-at-wheelchair-humiliation-in-airport-20091124-j99a.html
Email: N/A
Phone: N/A
Contact Person: N/A
Source: Email from: Maria Karagiozakis
When: 24/11/2009
