Article about wheelchairs and airplanes for discussion

[Oddity]

With threads about planes and chairs popping up routinely, I thought this was an interesting article to share. It makes some good points about the history and reality of it all as well as the issues.

https://undark.org/2019/12/03/making...fe-accessible/

I agree with the author, for the most part. Wish things were different for us.

[Iolas]

Interesting article! Thanks!

Oh, to dream of the day that I can weight-shift and be just as equally uncomfortable as everyone else in the airplane--pffft, what a joke!

[funklab]

Air travel is expensive. Based on that video you’d need to sacrifice about six regular passenger seats per wheelchair lockdown seat (maybe three if it is a two seat per side airplane with a wide aisle, and of course you’d have to design every plane with aisles and passageways of at least 32” rather than the current 15” not to mention even wider turning areas. The width of an airplane seat is currently 17” on avg, so you lose an entire seat to widening the aisle for the entire length of the accessible section.

sure it would be nice. But I don’t see it being a feasible thing.

[Oddity]

I think you're right. Doesn't seem feasible without a mandate from the govt, and they probably won't ever do it.

[funklab]

Plus as soon as you implement that a bunch of fakers are gonna show up in a wheelchair because you can basically get an upgrade to super-ultra first class with 4x the room and the ability to recline for the cost of a rental wheelchair and pretending to be disabled. For sure someone would design an Uber comfortable electric wheelchair to maximum allowable dimensions and rent it to ABs for a hundred bucks a pop so they can get the upgrade. That would actually be a great business model, throw in parking at and transportation to and from your wheelchair rental shop and you’d be super popular.

[RollinPositive]

With threads about planes and chairs popping up routinely, I thought this was an interesting article to share. It makes some good points about the history and reality of it all as well as the issues.

https://undark.org/2019/12/03/making...fe-accessible/


I agree with the author, for the most part. Wish things were different for us.

It's impossible to expect airlines to modify a plane to accommodate all the disabilities to provide comfort.

Flying is a choice and instead of wanting others to accommodate us I think allowing us to bring things to make the trip more comfortable from cushions, pillows, neck pillows etc is going to be a bigger win.

Flying also is a choice many in our community have talked themselves out of which is sad because there is so much to do an see with not a lot of effort.


Last flying is not expensive...

[Rook98006]

It's impossible to expect airlines to modify a plane to accommodate all the disabilities to provide comfort.

Flying also is a choice many in our community have talked themselves out of which is sad because there is so much to do an see with not a lot of effort.

I never thought flying was comfortable when able bodied. Not sure what I'd do and see without my own vehicle on the other end.