Showing posts with label Airline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Airline. Show all posts

Saturday 7 May 2022

'As a Doctor, I Urged The IndiGo Manager to Let The Special Needs Child Board'

May 10, 2022

Screenshot of backview of child sitting on Indigo6E wheelchair. Ranchi Airport Indigo staff can be seen on the background surrounded by copassengers trying to reason with him. Image is against an Indigo blue background studded with the airline's logos.

Reporter: Sakshat Chandok

(Dr Sumit Ray is a senior consultant in critical care medicine. He was waiting at the Ranchi Airport when IndiGo barred a child with disabilities to board a flight to Hyderabad. The following is an as-told-to account, recorded and written by Sakshat Chandok.)

I was waiting at the Ranchi Airport on 7 May when I heard that a special needs child was crying. He was irritable and hungry as he had just come from a long, uncomfortable car ride, and his parents were looking after him.

He also had a cast on his arm, and was probably in some pain and discomfort, which made him restless and added to his woes.

Since he was a child with multiple disabilities, he took some time to calm down. When he finally did, it was time for their flight to start boarding passengers.

At that time, a manager from IndiGo said that since the child was "crying and panicking", he couldn't allow him to board the flight. He has to become "normal", the manager asserted.

Indigor aircraft

Since the child was stopped from boarding, many passengers took it up with the the IndiGo representative. They explained to him that the child has special needs, and that he was restless earlier but had calmed down later. And after the child had stopped crying, he was sitting calmly on the wheelchair for 25-30 minutes.

There was also a team of six to seven doctors who were also boarding the same flight as the child and his parents. They said that if there is any problem on board, they would take care of it. "He's a child on a wheelchair," the doctors told the manager, adding, "He cannot be a threat to anybody.”

IndiGo Manager Was Unempathetic and Particularly Aggressive

The IndiGo manager was arguing with everybody. "You don’t understand. The child is panicking," he said, asserting that people who are under the influence of alcohol or behaving like the child would not be allowed to board.

Everybody got angry with him, but still people were very polite. The passengers on his flight and on other flights came together to explain to him, cajole him, but to no avail. They also urged him to call his senior, to which he said, "I am the senior person."

At that point I questioned him, “Do you even understand what the child’s problem is?” To which he replied that he knew it. So, I asked him what the child suffered from. “That’s not important. He was panicking," the manager retorted.

We asked him whether there was a doctor in the IndiGo team, to which he said that there wasn’t one. Then I suggested to him to call the airport doctor to examine the child.

Some people even asked him to talk to the captain of the flight, which he completely ignored.

I also said that as doctors, we know that the child is not going to be a threat to anybody. But he just refused. He was aggressive and unempathetic.

Lacking in Training

I’m not trying to blame any airline. IndiGo has a fair reputation of taking care of people with special needs. But obviously there is something lacking in their training.

And it’s not just training. The manager was particularly difficult. Even the policemen who were there, who have no authority to allow a person on the flight, were asking the manager to let the child board.

Screenshot of backview of child sitting on Indigo6E wheelchair. Ranchi Airport Indigo staff can be seen on the background surrounded by copassengers trying to reason with him.

He repeatedly said that the child had to become “normal”, to which we said that normal for him is different compared to what it might be for you. He was totally unwilling to listen or understand. He didn’t even know what disability meant.

He knew that most passengers would have to leave to catch their flights sooner or later, so he delayed the entire process to ensure that the child does not board the scheduled flight.

It is absolutely essential that we sensitise staff, particularly those who are dealing with people with special needs at different sites of interaction.

Sensitisation in different areas has certainly helped to create more awareness. In this particular situation, what the media, disability sector activists and others have done, has made people aware of special needs to a great extent.

IndiGo claims that they are good with people with disabilities, and I’m certainly not countering their claim. But in this situation, there was a failure on the part of the system.

According to me, the airline should have flown the child on the next direct flight. They should have an SOP in such a situation, as per which they should become more aware and receptive. Secondly, if so many people are saying something that is in disagreement with the airline’s representative, he needs to involve his seniors.

Sensitivity of People The Only Good Thing to Come Out Of This Sad Story

The nicest thing to come out of this sad story was the sensitivity of people. There was not a single person apart from the manager who said that the child should not be allowed to board.

Every passenger on the boy’s flight said that they had no problem with the child flying in the same plane. Most people in the airport didn’t know what kind of special needs the child had. But they had the empathy and understanding that he required a special kind of care.

It was just this manager and his ego that did not permit the child to board. “You are stuck now because of your ego,” almost everybody told him, but he didn’t listen.

Impact on the Child

It is obviously distressing for the child. I don’t know how much of it will he register, but now he might probably be more anxious in public places, especially when he has to travel.

The parents may consciously or subconsciously curtail their or their child’s travel as well as their own interactions with people – especially in public.

I remember seeing the father. He was on the verge of tears. It was a mix of anger, desperation, and sadness that he was going through.

I know it is easier said than done, but one can only hope that the family may look at the positive side of this situation someday which was that so many people came out in support of them and their child. But, I can imagine how difficult it must be for them.

(The Quint has reached out to IndiGo for a comment on the manager's demeanour. The article will be updated as and when they respond. On 9 May, in an official statement from IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta, the airline had expressed "sincere regrets to the affected family for the unfortunate experience".)

Published: 

Tuesday 26 October 2021

Draft guideline issued to ensure ease during air travel for disabled people


October 27, 2021

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday issued draft guidelines for aviation sector stakeholders such as airlines and airports to ensure disabled people can travel at ease

Cover page of Draft Accessibility Standards and Provision of facilities for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in Civil Aviation Sector published 26 Oct 2021 with download link https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/Accessibility-Standards-and-Provision-of-facilities-for-Persons-with-Disabilities.pdf


NEW DELHI : The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday issued draft guidelines for aviation sector stakeholders such as airlines and airports to ensure disabled people can travel at ease.

Actor and dancer Sudha Chandran had last week, in a video posted on social media, narrated her ordeal of how she was made to remove her prosthetic limb every time during a security check at any airport.

According to the draft guidelines, airport operators must make special arrangements to facilitate screening of persons with special needs so that the process is carried out efficiently "keeping the dignity and privacy of the passenger in mind".

During the screening of prosthetics, the airport security -- which is handled by the CISF at most of the airports -- might use X-ray, explosive trace detection devices or visual checks according to their requirement, it mentioned.

The passenger -- who has a prosthetic limb -- will first pass through the door frame metal detector and should then be taken to a private screening point and made to sit comfortably, it noted.

This passenger will then receive additional screening including a pat-down, the draft guidelines said.

"A prosthetic appliance which does not have any foam padding cover under which any weapon or explosive can be concealed and in which the steel rod of the appliance is clearly visible may be screened by visual inspection and ETD checks only, without removing it."

However, in rare cases, where there is sufficient justification including profiling of the passenger, X-ray screening may be resorted to, it stated, adding the justification for subjecting a prosthetic limb to X-ray screening shall be recorded by the screener in a register

Prosthetic appliances that are covered in foam padding and in which the steel rod is not visible must undergo X-ray screening, it mentioned.

The draft guidelines also said that passengers who have external devices including insulin pumps, hearing aids, cochlear implants, spinal stimulators, bone growth stimulators and ostomies will not have to disconnect them for X-ray screening.

Under most circumstances, a passenger can conduct a self-pat-down of these devices followed by ETD screening of his or her hands, it added.

Disabled passengers should inform the airline about their complete requirement 48 hours before the scheduled departure so that the carrier can make necessary arrangements, it mentioned.

If a passenger wants to check-in their wheelchair at the airport, the airline must ensure that the wheelchair is duly taxed and sent to the baggage make-up area with a service partner to avoid any damage, it noted.

Passengers should check with the airline on the specific requirements of bringing service animals on flights. A low floor coach or a ramp should be used for comfortable boarding or debarring of wheelchair users, the draft guidelines mentioned.

"Airlines should ensure that a disability awareness training is conducted for new hires and ensure periodic refreshers are conducted for all staff to reiterate policies and standard operating procedures on customer assistance with different types of disabilities," it mentioned.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has given three weeks for people to send their comments and suggestions on the draft "Accessibility Standards and Guidelines for Civil Aviation", after which final guidelines will be issued.



Tuesday 29 August 2017

Discriminated for no fault: Airlines, airports in India fail their ‘special’ fliers

For the disabled, journeys on domestic flights are tales of never-ending turbulence. Days after the de-boarding of paraathlete Madhu Bagri from a Hyderabad-bound plane, the demand for standardisation of air travel protocols for the disabled has grown stronger. 

Hyderabad: International paraathlete Suvarna Raj says that she was de-boarded from a plane in a similar manner last month. “I reached a little late than usual and was given my boarding pass. But they denied me entry because my security check would take longer,” she says. She missed her flight and was allocated a seat on a flight which departed the next day. 

Experts say that such an incident would have never occurred had India been following International Protocol and using Explosive Trace Detection Systems (ETDs). These systems allow for security checks to be carried out without disabled persons having to part with their accessibility gear. 

Nipun Malhotra, the founder of the Nipman Foundation, says, “I filed an RTI and found that over 77 airports in the country have ETDs, but they are not being used anywhere. Instead, we are forced to be transferred from our wheelchair or remove our prosthetic limbs in the name of security.”

Persons with disability ask why they have to undergo such humiliation when the necessary technology is available.

Their troubles do not end after the security check. “As per the procedure that is followed internationally, disabled persons are allowed to take their wheelchairs up to the aircraft door, where they are shifted to aisle chairs which can pass through the cabin. However, in India, the wheelchair goes into the baggage compartment and disabled passengers are physically lifted and carried to their seats, which is not only dangerous but also humiliating,” says Ms Suvarna Raj. Some airlines do not have aisle chairs, in which case the availability of seats in the front row becomes crucial, as was in the case of Madhu Bagri.

As per the protocol to be followed in Boeing flights, disabled persons may be seated in the front row. However, in smaller ATR flights, the emergency exit doors are located in the front, requiring mobile persons to be seated adjacent to them.

Accessibility experts say that some airlines do not have any provision for the assistance of disabled persons, as a result of which they are forced to crawl or drag themselves to their seats, which constitutes a violation of their human rights.

“The crux of the problem is that there is no penalty. Every time a disabled person with some privilege faces a problem, it is highlighted. But many unprivileged disabled persons face problems on a daily basis. Why can’t the Directorate General of Civil Aviation penalise airlines, airports instead of merely issuing warnings?” asks Mr Javed Abidi, the director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People. 

Mr Abidi has helped the CISF chalk out a detailed plan of action. He says that the airline services must incorporate a provision for the declaration of disability at the ticketing stage to avoid such hassles.

Friday 18 August 2017

Cochin International Airport snubs Paralympic champ

Athlete forced to wait in taxi car for 45 mins.

Joby John

ARUN GEORGE


Aug 18, 2017




Kochi : Even Sachin Tendulkar tweeted how “extra proud” he was “of Team India’s performance at the World Dwarf Games”, but not everyone shared the same feelings toward the champion athletes. Certainly, not the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) authorities. Kerala athlete Joby Mathew, who was the pride of the 15-member Indian team that bagged 37 medals at the World Dwarf Games held in Canada, with a personal haul of six medals, two of which were Gold, was allegedly humiliated by the airport security on his triumphant homecoming.


The 41-year-old, who is physically challenged from birth with 60 per cent disabilities, was made to sit inside the taxi, he had hired at the airport, for nearly 45 minutes while the vehicle was tied to a chain for allegedly violating traffic rules inside the premises. “It was a painful experience,” said Joby Mathew, who added that he was “humiliated” by the authorities for a “humanitarian consideration” shown by the taxi driver. “There was lot of rush at the gates and I couldn’t make it through. So, the taxi driver agreed to pick me up some 25 metres further down the exit, but the authorities treated it as a violation and chained the vehicle with me inside,” said Joby.

Ernakulam district sports council president Zakir Hussain who was at the airport to receive the athlete said the authorities kept hold of the vehicle even after being informed about the passenger’s details and his physical condition. Airport director A.C.K. Nair maintained that they had only followed rules and claimed that the athlete’s vehicle was released soon after they found out who he was. “The driver had broken the rules by taking a one-way,” said Mr Nair. Meanwhile, Joby informed that their journey until then had been pleasant as the cabin crew of all three flights they boarded from Canada to Kochi had announced “how proud they were to have us on board”.


Monday 14 August 2017

Para athlete alleges mistreatment by airlines

15 Aug 2017

New Delhi : A para athlete today alleged that she was "ill-treated" by the crew of a private airlines and "forcefully offloaded", even as the airlines refuted the claims.

Madhu Bagri, a wheelchair tennis player, said that she had booked herself on a SpiceJet flight from Tirupati to Hyderabad, which was scheduled to take off at 8.25 am. But she was later evicted from the aircraft.

According to the athlete, she was unable to reach her seat as the wheelchair could not fit in between the aisles of the aircraft, leading to an argument with the crew.

"As the aisle was not wide enough for the wheelchair, I was asked to walk or crawl to reach my seat in the third row. When I asked the crew to accommodate me in the front row, they told me that it was an emergency seat and that differently-abled people were barred from occupying it," Bagri told PTI.

"They threw me out with my baggage and left me at the arrivals section of the airport without giving me any solution to reach my destination," she complained.

The tennis player has lodged a complaint with the airport director.

The airlines, however, denied any manhandling and ill treatment of the sports person.

"On reaching the aircraft, the passenger insisted on having the front row seat. All front row seats in Q400 Bombardier aircraft are emergency exit rows and hence, passengers with any kind of disability are not allowed to sit on these seats as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules," a SpiceJet spokesperson said in a statement.

The airline said Bagri was offloaded as the plane was getting delayed, adding that "at no point was she manhandled or mistreated and the SpiceJet women staff assisted her out."

As per the DGCA rules on Carriage by Air - Persons with Disability and/or Persons with Reduced Mobility, airlines shall not allocate those seats to persons with disability or reduced mobility where their presence would impede the crew in performing their duties, obstruct access to emergency equipment or impede emergency evacuation path of the aircraft."

The aviation body also mandates that in case a differently-abled passenger is offloaded, the airline will have to provide assistance.

"If passengers for any reason have to be offloaded, highest possible priority for transportation shall be given to persons with disability or reduced mobility, including their escorts, if any," it says.

SpiceJet noted that it had made arrangements for the athlete on a bigger aircraft which was scheduled to fly later in the day.

"The passenger was given a choice to travel by SpiceJets Boeing flight, which was scheduled to depart at 4:30 pm and she was also informed that the first row seat would be reserved for her. However, the passenger continued to use offensive language," the statement said. PTI JC SRY

indiatoday.intoday.in/story/para-athlete-alleges-mistreatment-by-airlines/1/1026116.html


Controversy

‘Crawl to seat, we don’t care’: SpiceJet crew allegedly insult India’s first wheelchair tennis player

India’s first wheelchair tennis player alleges that she was ill-treated by the Spice Jet crew at Tirupati.

August 14, 2017

In an incident reeking of insensitivity, para athlete Madhu Bagri was allegedly illtreated by the crew of Spice Jet at Tirupati airport on Monday.

India’s first wheelchair tennis player, Madhu Bagri was traveling on a Spice Jet flight from Tirupati to Ahmedabad via Hyderabad. Narrating her ordeal, Madhu alleged that the crew had asked her to “walk, crawl or do anything to reach” her seat. This as the aisle on the aircraft was too narrow to accommodate her wheel-chair.

Madhu says that despite her appeals to give her another seat, the crew tried pushing and pulling the wheelchair, without showing any sensitivity. When she refused to comply with their instructions, she says, “They picked up the aisle wheelchair, wherein my head was almost touching the roof and I was on the verge of falling down, as I lost balance.” Madhu alleges that the crew on-board the aircraft refused to understand her situation, and alleges misbehaviour on the part of officials. The tennis player then says that along with her luggage, she was thrown out of the aircraft and left unattended at the airport.

42-year-old Madhu Bagri is India’s first wheelchair tennis player, and has reached a career high world ranking of 113.


This is not the first incidence of the differently-abled being mistreated by airline crew. In the past, Paralympic silver medalist Deepa Malik about insensitivity shown by Vistara airlines in 2016.

The 43 year-old shotput player alleged that the crew were poor at handling the wheelchair, and also complained of rude behavior by the cabin crew.

She had pointed out that the crew were not trained on how to shift a person from a wheelchair to the cabin.

Subsequently, Vistara airlines apologized and initiated a probe into the matter.



INDIGO AIRLINES DRAWS FLAK OVER BROKEN WHEELCHAIR

By Satish Nandgaonkar
Aug 14, 2017




Indigo Airlines was at the receiving end of social media ire after a 29-year-old differently-abled activist, lodged a strong protest against the carrier for allocating him a broken wheelchair when he landed in Mumbai on Sunday morning.

"Extremely disappointing that I was brought down the plane in a broken wheelchair by Indigo6E DELMUM 6E 167 - Big safety threat," Nipun Malhotra tweeted, along with pictures of a damaged spoke of the wheelchair's rim, causing a flutter on social media.

According to Malhotra, they were alighting from the Delhi-Mumbai flight, which arrived at 9:30 am on Sunday, when he noticed the broken wheelchair. "I had my personal attendant travelling with me. When we were coming down the ramp, the wheelchair felt rickety and we noticed that a spoke was broken. It was an extremely scary experience. Once down, the airline staff even tried to stop us from taking pictures," said Malhotra, who is a co-founder and CEO of Nipman Foundation.

The Foundation runs Wheels for Life initiative which encourages donors to donate wheelchairs to the needy. Malhotra not only writes regularly on disability issues, his efforts also led to Zomato incorporating `wheelchair access' filters and wheelchairs being made available at events like NH7 music festival and the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Meanwhile, Indigo's swiftly apologised on Twitter."We believe someone from our team has contacted you. We truly regret the experience and assure you we're treating this with utmost importance. Our passenger safety and com fort is extremely important for us," read a post by the Twitter handle.When contacted, Indigo spokesperson promised to issue a formal re sponse soon but the same was awaited at the time of going to press.

Incidentally, Indigo is one of the most preferred airlines for people with disabilities (PwDs). The carrier has received The Disability Matters Award Asia Pacific thrice, including in 2017.

"Indigo is also the preferred airline for many of us but I am sad that the standards have fallen. I want an unconditional apology from the airline, and it should come out with a Standard Operating Procedure to ensure that this does not happen ever again," Malhotra told Mumbai Mirror.

The incident comes less than a month after para-athlete Suvarna Raj took on Indigo for not allowing her to board the Delhi-Udaipur flight on July 19 claiming there was no time to scan her wheelchair before boarding.

Suvarna had won two medals at 2013 Para Table Tennis Open Championship held in Thailand and was also honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee with National Role Model and National Youth Awards in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

While Suvarna alleged that she reached the IGI airport in Delhi at 12.45 pm for the 1.25 pm flight but was not allowed to board by the airline staff.The airline, meanwhile, refuted her claim and said that she arrived at 12.54 pm, which was 10 minutes after they closed the boarding gate.

"Such things happen regularly to us. A broken spoke of a wheelchair can be dangerous for us who are wheelchair-bound, and Nipun is right in demanding more than a regret from the airline," said Raj, who was allegedly forced to sleep on the floor on the Nagpur-Nizamuddin Garib Rath Express in June after she was allocated an upper birth despite mentioning her disability while booking her tickets.

Indigo is one of India's leading low cost airlines with a 40 per cent market share as of June 2017.

It has a fleet of 136 aircraft, including 22 new generation A320 Neos.

https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/airline-draws-flak-over-broken-wheelchair/articleshow/60052103.cms

Thursday 27 April 2017

Callous airline staff’s attitude reflects our apathy towards India’s disabled population

4/27/2017

On Wednesday, cricketer Harbhajan Singh tweeted about an incident where an expat pilot abused and assaulted two travellers flying to Mumbai, one of them a person with orthopaedic disability. Apart from changing India’s famously inaccessible built environment we need to develop a culture of sensitivity towards the country’s 2.68 crore disabled.

Last year, Paralympics silver medal winner Deepa Malik filed a complaint against poor handling of wheelchair-bound passengers by the staff of Air Vistara.

There’s more to it than just racism. On Wednesday, cricketer Harbhajan Singh tweeted about alleged racism by an expat pilot from Jet Airways. According to Singh, the pilot abused and assaulted two travellers flying to Mumbai, one of them a person with an orthopaedic disability. When the flight landed, he had to wait for 25 minutes for the wheelchair to be brought to the seat. On top of it, the pilot screamed at him for checking-in the wheelchair and delaying the flight. This was done despite the airline allowing them to check it in at Chandigarh from where they had boarded.

This is not the first time a wheelchair-bound traveller has complained of misbehaviour by airline crew. Last year, Paralympics silver winner Deepa Malik filed a complaint against poor handling of wheelchair-bound passengers by the staff of Air Vistara. “The wheelchair handling is so poor that you do not know how to shift a person from seat to cabin chair. The entire staff stands and looks at each other for 10 minutes,” she had said. In 2015, disability rights activist Javed Abidi was forced to get off his wheelchair at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Despite protests, the CISF warned him to comply or miss his flight. Ironically, in 2014, Abidi was part of a panel of activists who had helped frame guidelines to ensure there was no discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel.
    According to the 2011 Census, the number of disabled in India stands at 2.68 crore, or 2.21 per cent of the population. India’s built environment is infamously inhospitable to the disabled and the elderly, confining them to their homes. Most public buildings lack ramps and even ATM machines have steps leading up to them. The recently passed Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2016, promises barrier-free access to buildings to the disabled, but implementation is lax. Merely de-rostering the pilot, as Jet Airways did, won’t be enough to change the ground reality on discrimination. We need to inculcate a culture of sensitivity towards the physically challenged.

    Tuesday 6 September 2016

    Passengers With Disabilities Pose ‘Higher’ Security Risk, Says Aviation Authority

    The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has also blocked full body scanners that would decrease harassment faced by persons with disabilities at airport security checks.


    06/09/2016

    By Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

    New Delhi: Millions of passengers at airports across India go through pat-down security checks, often leading to delays and harassment, especially for persons with disabilities. An RTI application filed by a disability rights activist has now revealed why this is the case, even though technology exists that makes it unnecessary. Not only does the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) regard passengers with disabilities as a higher security risk but the agency has also been responsible for blocking the introduction of disabled-friendly safe full body scanners since it is still “exploring its feasibility at Indian airports keeping in view the privacy (issues) and health hazards from radiation”.

    BCAS, which is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India and comes under the ministry of civil aviation, appears to have not taken into account the fact that many nations, including the US, have shifted to the use of new technology at airports for reducing scanning time and inconvenience to the passengers.

    The agency’s role has come to light in response to an RTI application filed by Satendra Singh, an associate professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi. In its response to a set of questions posed by him, BCAS stated that the “security scenario in India is not the same as that of America”. When asked about the perceived radiation hazard and whether they had received “any recommendations from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) on the use of non-ionising millimetre wave technology at airports in India”, BCAS initially cited security concerns for not answering this question.

    But when Singh filed a first and second appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC), stating that the matter needs to be decided in light of the constitutional mandate of the RTI Act, the bureau conceded that the AERB’s recommendations were not available to them.

    In his plea before the CIC, Singh, who suffers from loco-motor disability and has faced humiliation at Hyderabad airport before, noted that that harassment of persons with disabilities on the pretext of security under BCAS guidelines was a violation of their fundamental rights under articles 15 and 21 of the constitution. He argued before the CIC that millimetre wave technology was widely used in international airports.

    Incidentally, in March 2016, it was reported that the US Trade and Development Agency would be giving a millimetre wave scanner to Indira Gandhi International Airport, which was to be then tested by BCAS for Indian conditions.

    Such scanners, commonly referred to as body scanners, are supposed to cut down average frisking time by avoiding pat-down checks. They are also seen as an ideal replacement for present scanners, given increasing passenger traffic.

    Even in the US, according to a US Environmental Protection Agency document, the airport security screening machines use non-ionising radiation which does not have enough energy to break bonds in living cells, therefore being safe. Millimetre wave machines use low-energy non-ionising radiation.

    Millimetre wave machines use radio frequency waves to detect threats. The machine bounces waves off the body. Millimetre wave scanners emit thousands of times less energy than a cellphone. Threats are shown on a generic body outline rather than the person’s actual outline. When there are no weapons or other threats, the screen turns green and shows an “OK”, the document stated.

    Along with backscatter x-ray systems, which use very low levels of x-rays (almost equivalent to cosmic radiation received during two minutes of flight) millimetre wave machines are now emerging as key scanning equipment across the globe.

    Despite these positive attributes, why India has been slow to introduce this technology has been explained by the BCAS response.

    Since Singh had faced harassment in February 2014, he filed complaints with the BCAS, the ministry of civil aviation and the chief commissioner of persons with disability. He then filed an RTI application on October 21, 2014 and followed it up with first and second appeals on November 12 and December 22, 2014.

    “I have been fighting a long battle… that of dignified screening of passengers with disabilities at Indian airports,” he said.

    On the reason behind his filing the application, he said, “Human dignity is a constitutional value and a constitutional goal. BCAS is humiliating people with disabilities though we are willing to help them by providing suggestions. That is why I am advocating the millimetre wave technology. In the recent landmark judgement in Jeeja Ghosh vs Spice Jet, the Supreme Court had categorically said, “Non disabled people do not understand disabled ones…. What non-disabled people do not understand is that people with disabilities also have some rights, hopes and aspirations as everyone else”.

    Singh said that if it had not been for the insistence of information commissioner Bimal Julka, a former director in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the BCAS would not have parted with any information. “BCAS kept denying information on the pretext of national security,” Singh said.

    However, Julka said the “appellant raised pertinent issues regarding safeguarding the rights of disabled persons who are harassed by screeners. The appellant also raised very important and critical issues related to the new and innovative technologies being adopted by various advanced countries for disabled”. Given the gravity of these issues, he directed BCAS to provide the relevant information.

    Apart from information on the bureau’s approach towards the new technology, the appeal also revealed a “restricted” document in the form of circular No. 23/2005 of BCAS pertaining to “procedure for passenger and carry on baggage screening”.

    Section 4.7 of this document dealt with “Procedure for persons with special needs” and “screening of the disabled/ handicapped, sick passengers, etc”.

    Singh said he was surprised to learn how the security agencies view persons with disabilities.

    Calling such passengers a high security risk, the document said “screeners should be thoroughly briefed that the possibility of carrying weapons/ explosives and other dangerous materials through such passengers is higher than a normal passenger and therefore, these passengers need to be checked with care”. (emphasis added)

    It also noted that “the checking of such passengers should be thorough and the supervisor should also satisfy himself that the passenger can be cleared for boarding”.

    The rules also state that “there is no scope for leniency in respect of invalid/disabled/sick persons during the pre-embarkation screening / procedures. On the contrary, there is ample reason to be more alert and wary”.

    Averring that this “‘restricted’ document clearly highlights malice towards disabled passengers”, Singh said the use of new technology is needed to end such discrimination.

    BCAS also communicated through its RTI reply that in January this year it had a meeting with the Central Industrial Security Force, which is in-charge of security at all airports, in order to sensitise the security forces about the issue of security. The response claimed that it had “advised (forced) to be more careful while screening passengers with special needs and medical condition.”

    In another reply, BCAS stated that “a training module is incorporated in screener certification handout as ‘Security Procedure for Screening of Passengers with special needs and mental conditions'”. This module, the bureau claimed, had “detailed info and is being taught by all BCAS approved Aviation Security Training Institutes”.

    It added that this “module is being taught to the security personnel involved in screening”. During the 12-day course, the bureau said it was planning to include modules of screening procedures for persons with disabilities and would be consulting organisations that represent them.

    After much prodding, BCAS also gave out details of the various complaints received from persons with disabilities regarding harassment at airports and their status.


    Saturday 30 January 2016

    Disabled woman passenger alleges Air India made her 'crawl'

    Jan 31, 2016

    NEW DELHI : A disabled woman passenger has alleged she had to "crawl" to the passenger coach after deboarding an Air India plane as the carrier failed to arrange a wheel chair for her due to "security" reasons, a charge denied by the airline.

    The government-run airline claimed a wheel chair was provided to the passenger at aircraft doorstep itself.

    The incident took place yesterday when Anita Ghai, a Delhi University associate professor, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi by Alliance Air (Air India's regional arm) from Dehradun and requested for a wheel chair.

    "I boarded this flight with four of my colleagues. Despite my repeated request, the (air) hostess did not cognize my requirement for a wheel chair after reaching. The flight reached at 7:30 pm. I waited patiently with one of my friends," she said

    timesnownews.com/india/article/disabled-woman-passenger-alleges-air-india-made-her-crawl/30034

    Air India in trouble? Activists demand inquiry

    2/6/2016

    Bengaluru, Feb 6: The disabled rights activists are demanding an inquiry into the incident where a physically challenged passenger was made to crawl on the tarmac of the Delhi airport. The activists want the Civil Aviation Ministry to set-up an inquiry and punish the guilty for gross negligence.

    Recently, a shocking event came to light when Anita Ghai, Associate Professor, Delhi University, who is physically challenged, was denied a wheelchair while de-boarding from an Air India flight in Delhi. Thus she had to "crawl" to the passenger coach after landing at the airport.

    "Despite my repeated requests, the [air] hostess did not recognise my requirement for a wheelchair after reaching. The flight reached at 7.30 p.m. I waited patiently with one of my friends," Ghai said.

    "At 8:15 pm, we realised that there was no chance of [getting] a wheelchair. The [passenger] coach came at 8.30 p.m. after repeated requests from the flight commander. Since security reasons are critical, they made me crawl to go to the coach," she alleged.

    "We demand an inquiry into the horrible incident where Air India made Professor Anita Ghai, a differently-abled woman passenger, crawl on the tarmac of the Delhi airport by denying her a wheelchair. The responsible persons need to be punished for this gross negligence. Air India should give an unconditional apology to the passenger.

    They cannot ill-treat people with disabilities in this horrible manner. The latest guidelines on 'Carriage by Air of persons with disability or reduced mobility' must be strictly enforced in line with the goals of the 'Accessible India' campaign," said a petition on Avaaz.org.

    Avaaz is a global web movement to bring people-powered politics to decision-making everywhere.

    The petition with 20,000 signatures will be submitted to the Disability Commissioner KK Pandey to investigate the matter soon.

    "Let's get 20,000 signatures in the next 72 hours so that she can submit a people-powered petition to him," reads the petition.

    Here is the Avaaz petition: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Civil_Aviation_Minister_Ashok_Gajapathi_Raju_Inquiry_into_HORRIBLE_INCIDENT_making_disabled_woman_passenger_CRAWL/?bsSthib&v=72574&cl=9473467683

    However, Air India had earlier denied the allegation.

    "We deeply regret any inconvenience caused to the passenger. However, we strongly deny the statement appearing in media. We at Air India give utmost importance to passenger's safety and comfort," an Air India statement said.

    oneindia.com/india/air-india-in-trouble-activists-demand-inquiry-2004984.html

    Thursday 1 October 2015

    Disabled activist `humiliated' at IGI

    1-Oct-2015

    Anvit Srivastava

    NEW DELHI: Disabled rights activist Javed Abidi was forced to get off his wheelchair at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday, when despite his protests, the CISF gave him the option of either complying with their rules or missing his flight. 

    Abidi said he had travelled across the world without having to suffer the humiliation of being made to get off the wheelchair. He had earlier helped frame guidelines on how the frisking process could be made more disabled-friendly . The Central Industrial Se curity Force, which handles security at the airport, how ever, said it had its own manual that said wheelchairs had to be X-rayed. 

    In 2014, disability activists Rajesh Bhatia, Shivani Gupta, Smiti Bhatia and Suranjana Ghosh Aikara had framed guidelines to be followed by the CISF to ensure there was no discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel. "I was asked to get off my wheelchair and shift to another one. When I questioned them, I was told this was the security protocol and was mandatory for all. I have travelled through major international airports but never faced such a protocol," Abidi said. 

    Reacting to the incident, activist Shivani Gupta said the guidelines stated that no wheelchair user shall be forced to stand. It also says that the official must not attempt to manually lift the wheelchair user as this is against the person's dignity and jeopardises safety, she said. Abidi had reached the airport to board Air In dia flight AI 275 to Colombo, for an official meeting, and was traveling with two of his colleagues. After his travel documents were checked, and he arrived for frisking, he was stopped by CISF personnel. 

    Abidi tried to tell the personnel that rules had been framed to make the frisking process easier for persons with disabilities. "But they were adamant on getting my wheelchair in their custody for checking," he said. 

    The rules framed to make air travel easier for persons with disablities also says under no circumstances should the passenger be asked to remove cast, brace, callipers, metal implants or supportive alliances and even shoes, if the passenger cannot remove shoes. 

    Rajesh Bhatia, who was involved actively in framing the guidelines, said CISF was following guidelines that were issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)."For instance, CISF does not use explosives trace detectors (ETDs) which are in use worldwide to avoid inconvenience to a disabled. I also had to undergo a similar frisking early this month. The BCAS had assured me they would amend their standard operating procedure, as per our guidelines, but it was never done," Bhatia said. 

    Abidi has alleged that the officials were not cooperative and were rude to him. He said the 2014 guidelines were framed with the involvement of the ministry of civil aviation and BCAS along with other authorities. This had led to reframing of the manual and the officials underwent proper training as per the new rules. 

    "I myself was a part of framing rules and conducted workshops for the officials. On Wednesday , no official seemed to be aware of those rules. This is the first time I am experiencing such a humiliation. The officials started to off-load my luggage and prepared to escort me out of the airport. I finally get off the chair as I was to at tend a crucial meeting. What if it was some paralysed person or someone who couldn't get off," he said. 

    The officials involved in the matter, however, said they were bound by protocol. A senior CISF official told TOI that as per the existing rules, a person with inability to walk or stand shall be offered a chair for screening. He said a support shall be extended by an official from the respective airline or those travelling along with the person. 

    "His cushion was unusually thick. We requested him to move to one of the airline's wheelchair so that his chair could be screened, but he refused.We asked him to follow the rules and told him we were bound to follow the protocol.He was also shown the manual. Checking the wheelchair is necessary to ensure public safety . Finally , we had to tell him that we had left no option but to not allow him beyond the frisking point. None of our officials misbehaved or behaved rudely ," the official said.


    Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Disabled-activist-humiliated-at-IGI/articleshow/49176027.cms