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.

thewire.in/64487/rti-aviation-security-disability/

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

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

Security agencies defend frisking disabled woman

13 July 2013 
Pragya Singh

New Delhi : The Airport security agencies in India find no wrong in frisking of disabled at the airports. Amidst the hullabaloo over the incident at Mumbai airport where a woman passenger was asked remove her prosthetic leg; security agencies said that the measure is taken to ensure that nothing suspicious is allowed to be carried by a passenger inside the aircraft.

It was also stated that post 9/11, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) protocol does not provide any leverage to an air traveller merely because of disabilities. They insisted that the artificial limb removal in no way followed to intrude into people's privacy.

Security authorities feel that the removal of the prosthetic limbs during the security drill should not be treated as an insult to the person. “Despite creating a fuss about the matter, people should come forward and cooperate with the security procedures followed. Passengers should treat this as a matter of national security and not a shameful act, which is just being followed to ensure the safety of the airport premises, aircraft as well as of the co-passengers,” said a senior BCAS official.

Senior BCAS officials said that the procedure to remove the artificial limb during the security drill has to be followed in case the frisking officer is not satisfied with its genuineness. Usually an explosive trace detector (ETD) is used to frisk the artificial limb. “Usually the prosthetic limbs, especially those imported from the other countries are very sophisticated in nature. These artificial limbs come in various types and may be added with the movement for the joints. In such cases, it becomes very difficult for the security personnel to ascertain the authenticity of the limb and ensure that the person is not taking its aid to smuggle suspicious objects,” he added.

He further said that not just the limbs, but the wheelchair and other aids are screened separately as part of the security procedure. “In case, the X-Ray machine is smaller in size to that of the wheelchair, manual frisking is done. The authorities cannot allow security lapse at the sensitive premises such as of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.” The security protocols, even if they demand the removal of the prosthetic limbs in some cases, have been set up to ensure the safety and security of the air travellers.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials too said that at many instances it becomes a necessity to get the artificial limbs removed so that nothing suspicious gets passed on to the aircraft. “At many instances, due to the sophisticated limbs worn by the passengers, it becomes a necessity to get the prosthetic limbs removed. To check the prosthetic limbs, usually an explosive trace detector (ETD) device is used. An ETD however, can only detect explosives and the suspicious objects such as knives can still be hidden inside. However, at times due to the sophisticated and complicated nature of the limbs, which are fitted with electronic gadgets it becomes next to impossible to ascertain its genuineness. In such cases, the official deployed for the frisking gets the limbs removed,” said CISF spokesperson, Hemendra Singh.

He, however, added that CISF personnel are trained to deal with such matters in a humane manner and such people are frisked in a separate room, keeping the privacy concerns in mind. “While dealing with the persons with disability or those who are unwell, the personnel have been instructed to follow a courteous manner, so that the security does not hurt the sentiments of such passengers. Even our personnel understand that the removal of the limbs causes inconvenience to the persons with disability, but it has to be followed in some cases to clear the suspicion of the constables deployed,” he added.

dailypioneer.com/city/security-agencies-defend-frisking-disabled-woman.html

2012, Sudha Chandran

Sudha Chandran's artificial leg causes travel woes


3 Mar 2012


Sudha Chandran talks about the way she was harassed by the airport security in Trivandrum


MUMBAI : Sudha Chandran has been an example for many. Despite having her right leg amputated, the popular television actress went on to become one of the highly acclaimed of India. However, living with a Jaipur foot is not easy. And the actress has been facing problems during air travel. And it's not because of any physical discomfort. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that Sudha had been facing problems with the airport officials. The actress had been harassed by the security officials in Mumbai, Trivandrum and Hyderabad airports.


Talking about her experience, Sudha told Mumbai Mirror, "Twice in the last ten days I have been harassed due to my artificial leg. And this has happened despite me carrying my medical certificate along. The certificate has all the details including how many screws are there on my artificial leg etc."


Her worst experience was however at the Mumbai airport. "They asked me ridiculous questions. When I told them that I was an actress, they said, 'Arrey pehchaana nahi aapko. Makeup ke bina bahut different lagte ho.' It was quite embarrassing."


Describing the recent Trivandrum incident, Sudha said, "I went to Trivandrum on February 14. The security staff at the airport was extremely rude."


"They asked me to undress. I was wearing a salwar kameez and couldn't possibly have undressed. There was also no changing room. They wanted me to remove my artificial leg and show. It was very humiliating. The other people present there came and started watching me," added the actress.


Hoping that security people will understand the humiliation that a person goes through due to such checks, Sudha added, "I agree that not everyone knows who I am. I am not that famous. However, when I show them all the documents, I just wish they dealt with me respectfully. I wonder what would happen to common people who have issues like these."


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-03/tv/31118895_1_sudha-chandran-airport-security-mumbai-airport

2012, Anjalee Agarwal

Another harrowing airport experience for Anjlee


Ms. Agarwal, a disability rights worker, was carted around on a luggage trolley at Delhi T3


Disability rights activist Anjlee Agarwal of Samarthyam, who was last week “literally thrown off a flight” in Raipur for objecting to the non-availability of an aisle chair, again had a harrowing experience with an airline. This time it was at Delhi's swanky T3 terminal that Ms. Agarwal found herself being carted around on a luggage trolley with no side support as the Air India staff could not get her an aisle chair.


Narrating her experience, Ms. Agarwal, who was recently part of a major access audit for government buildings in Delhi, said she had to undergo the humiliation of being transported in a luggage trolley on Thursday while returning to Delhi from Mumbai via Air India flight AI 660.


At Mumbai, Ms. Agarwal said she had requested the Air India crew to get her an aisle chair while de-boarding at the T3 airport in New Delhi. However, when the flight reached the Delhi airport, the aisle chair was not there to help her de-board.


Request not met


“I had to wait for 20 minutes and finally, after lot of hue and cry, I got to see a luggage trolley for transferring me from the aircraft seat. I was carried in the luggage trolley chair which had just two wheels instead of four and also did not possess an armrest for side support,” she said.


Lamenting that this was the state of affairs at T3 in Delhi, which is supposed to be a “world class airport”, Ms. Agarwal said she had a harrowing time being hauled around on the luggage trolley. “I was not able to balance myself on the narrow seat, my feet were dangling and I kept asking for another aisle chair to be given to me while being carried to the aircraft gate.”


She said she lost her balance several times, as she has limb girdle muscular dystrophy. Apart from this, she “also felt extremely embarrassed and insulted as 12 to 13 persons [both the crew and ground staff] looked at me with pity!”


Due to such mishandling, Ms. Agarwal said she had to be physically shifted four times at the airport. “I was transferred again from the luggage trolley to another wheelchair at the aircraft gate. Then on reaching the conveyer belt [luggage belt], I got my wheelchair and was transferred onto it. Finally, I was transferred from my wheelchair to the taxi.”


Describing the experience as “very exhausting, disgraceful, scary and unsafe,” the rights activist said it was unfortunate that “still people with disabilities are seen as luggage and are discriminated against”.


Incidentally, this is the third major case of harassment to disabled passengers that has come to light within the past fortnight. Earlier in February, a SpiceJet pilot had forced Jeeja Ghosh, head of advocacy and disability studies at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy at Kolkata off a Goa-bound flight because he was “abnormal” and was not accompanied by help.


In view of such repeated incidents, Ms. Agarwal and Samarthyam have urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to come up with recommendations on handling persons with disability and to take immediate action against all airlines that are insulting disabled passengers and violating the policy rules.


Indemnity bond


“We want training of all ground staff, pilot and crew for transferring and handling persons with disabilities,” she said, demanding that people with disabilities should also not be made to sign an indemnity bond as it is discriminatory, since it does not cover people with hidden illnesses.


Among other things, the rights group has also demanded that aisle chairs should be made available in all aircraft for wheelchair users and all persons with disabilities should be allotted front and aisle seats, if requested.


http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2951358.ece


Air India defending wrong action: Disability rights activist


DELHI : Disability rights activist Anjlee Agarwal has taken a strong exception to national carrier Air India's claim that she was “not transported in a luggage-trolley” at Delhi airport recently and that she had been “assisted with standard aisle chair as used universally''.


Responding to the claim by the Corporate Communications department of Air India which on Friday stated that she was “extended all assistance as per industry standards” and “at no point of time she was transported in a luggage-trolley”, Ms. Agarwal said she was appalled that the airline was defending its wrong actions.


“I have been travelling with Air India for the last seven years and the picture of the trolley used for transporting me out of the Goa-Delhi flight AI 660 at T3 in Delhi on Thursday would clearly show that such two-wheeled trolleys are nowhere used as transfer chairs,” she said.


No safety belts


Ms. Agarwal said a look at “transfer chairs'' used the world over by airlines would reveal that they all have four wheels, possess a neck rest, safety belts in ‘X' form which lock up near the shoulder and around the waist, and have a foot rest which is easily approachable.


“The trolley provided to me had no neck rest, no safety belts and no proper foot rest. It had just two wheels because of which it had to be tilted backwards for forward movement. While my neck was jacked backwards, the feet were left dangling in the air. The Air India would thus do better to rectify its fault rather defend them.''


Ms. Agarwal said: “Obviously an attempt is being made to cover up because Air India never uses such trolleys elsewhere. Even while I was going to Goa on February 25 by its flight AI 865, this very airline had provided me a proper aisle chair at T3 for the boarding. It should thus probe why the quality of service deteriorated a few days later.''


Air India has also claimed that “wheelchair passengers are boarded first and deplaned last in order not to interfere with movement of other passengers'' and that it has “a very high standard of facilitation to the passengers requiring wheel chair assistance''.



http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article2959167.ece

2012, Tony Kurian

IndiGo suspends staff for refusing ticket to disabled


MUMBAI : Following DNA’s report on Sunday of how a visually-impaired Tata Institute of Social Sciences student Tony Kurian, 22, was repeatedly denied a flight ticket unless he agreed to be accompanied by an escort or a guide dog, IndiGo has suspended, with immediate effect, the outsourced call centre executives, who repeatedly refused to facilitate the tickets.


A statement from airline president Aditya Ghosh says IndiGo had spoken to Kurian and had assured him that “IndiGo, has no such policy that discourages visually challenged passengers from travelling with us or insisting that they are accompanied by escorts or guide dogs.”


“It is indeed a shocking incident and this kind of unacceptable behaviour calls for immediate action, including a training intervention.Hence, we have internally circulated an email reiterating the Directorate General of Civil Aviation guidelines (on disabled passengers) to our staff.”


Pointing out that IndiGo is the only airline that has a boarding ramp to allow wheelchairs and stretchers to be taken into the aircraft, the statement also mentions the ‘auto-step bus’ to assist them and senior citizens.


“We regret the inconvenience caused to Kurian, and hope he will see this experience as an aberration and not the rule at IndiGo,” the statement said.


Ghosh also mailed Kurian on Saturday apologising for the incident. But, the apology was in variance with the call centre staff who refused Kurian tickets three times. Irked such an “unacceptable behaviour”, the airline has taken strong action against the “errant” call centre executives by suspending them with immediate effect.


When DNA spoke to Kurian, he said he was glad that his stand was vindicated. “I want to thank the airline for such prompt and stern action.”


http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_indigo-suspends-staff-for-refusing-ticket-to-disabled_1655966




Another airline snubs the disabled


26-FEB-2012


MUMBAI It would appear that all the Indian airlines are vying with each other to enter the Hall of Shame.


Close on the heels of the shameful incident on February 19, 2012 where Spice Jet offloaded a passenger, Jeeja Ghosh, because she suffered from cerebral palsy, comes another incident, this time involving Indigo Airlines. Tony Kurian, 22, a visually impaired student of the development studies programme at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, has been repeatedly denied tickets by Indigo because of his impairment, and his tale of woe goes back to October 2011.


“I first tried to book tickets on October 17, 2011 for a flight to Cochin on June 22, 2012. I was refused a ticket. The airline told me that ‘a blind passenger may not avail of their services unless accompanied by an escort or a guide dog.’ I tried to point out thatthis was in violation of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines, but they were adamant about what they called their airline policy,” says a bitter Kurian.


Then, following the uproar over the ill-treatment meted out to Jeeja Ghosh in Kolkata by SpiceJet, Kurian tried again on February 23. “I was hopeful that the Kolkata incident and the outrage it generated would have cured Indigo of such policies, but I was humiliated again, and a ticket was refused to me on the very same grounds.”


The DGCA Guidelines clearly state, “Many persons with disabilities do not require constant assistance for their activities. Therefore, if the passenger declares independence in feeding, communication with reasonable accommodation, toileting and personal needs, the airlines shall not insist for the presence of an escort.” It further states, “All airlines shall provide necessary assistance to persons with disabilities/ impairment who wish to travel alone without an escort.”


Indigo violated the DGCA rules in their treatment of him, says Kurian. “Instead of honouring their obligation to provide me all ‘necessary assistance’, they denied me even the basic right to travel independently.”


When contacted, Indigo spokesperson Sakshi Batra said this was “a training issue and not a policy one.” She added, “Indigo’s policies are disabled-friendly. The company will investigate and find out who was responsible for conveying this wrong picture. We will also get in touch with the passenger to address his concerns.”


After DNA’s conversation with the Indigo spokesperson, Indigo president Aditya Ghosh wrote to Kurian, apologising for the incident. “At IndiGo, we have no such policy that discourages visually challenged passengers from traveling with us or insisting that visually challenged passengers are accompanied by guide dogs!...I can only personally apologise to you,” says the letter. After this apology from the company president, Kurian tried three times to book tickets on February 25, again without success. And at the time of going to press, Kurian still did not have a ticket from Indigo, an apology from the Indigo president notwithstanding.


Besides Spice Jet and now Indigo, earlier in September 2011, GoAir had stopped a visually challenged woman from boarding a flight, as had Kingfisher in May 2011. Clearly, the malaise of insensitivity towards the disabled is not a rarity in the aviation sector.


http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_another-airline-snubs-the-disabled_1654996