Transport is a necessary part of the daily grind for the general population. Whether it be making the mad scramble for a bus or train to work, riding a taxi or Uber, or flying interstate or domestically for work or leisure, we're all on the move. Or at least, we'd all like to be on the move.
For disabled individuals, the navigation of public transport is often marred by experiences ranging from mild irritation at someone failing to shift for someone getting on a bus with a cane or guide dog, to outright discriminatory practices of not being able to board the transport at all. In the past week, a number of these practices at the extreme end have garnered national attention, with mixed reactions to the plight of the individuals experiencing such behaviour.
Monica McGhie was flying from Perth to Canberra via Melbourne in February, when her mobility-assist wheelchair was left behind by QANTAS after it was determined it could not fit the dimensions of the aircraft door. This left her to struggle with a push-wheelchair, severely impacting her ability to move independently and freely. The irony? McGhie was travelling to a media conference in Canberra to campaign for a royal commission into the abuse of people with disabilities.
In a follow-up statement, QANTAS said the dimensions of the wheelchair had not been properly entered into the booking system, and refunded the cost of the airline ticket to McGhie.
The second incident, also widely reported in the media on the same day, was a refusal by an Uber driver in Adelaide to pick up former The Voice finalist Rachael Leahcar, due to her guide dog. The incident left Leahcar, who is legally blind, her dog Ella, and grandmother without a lift until an intervening, kind stranger assisted them to find an alternate ride. Uber responded by refunding the fare.
Finally, Professor Justin Yerbury was refused entry onto a pre-booked holiday on a Royal Caribbean cruise-liner, Explorer of the Seas, because the relevant paperwork he had submitted in November regarding having motor neurone disease did not get passed along to the relevant people, including the medical team onboard. This failure of communication meant he was deemed to pose too much of a 'risk' and therefore, they turned him away. Yerbury is a lecturer in neurodegenerative disorders and is highly regarded for his work in molecular biology. Royal Caribbean issued a refund.
Spanning the length of Australia,