Presenter and Disability Rights Campaigner Sophie Morgan has just been pictured delivering her RIGHTS ON FLIGHTS petition to No.10 Downing Street
Over cross-party 100 MPs have already signed Sophie’s petition which highlights the consistent failings of the airline industry when it comes to Disabled access.
The Rights On Flights campaign is calling for airlines and other actors to be held accountable for:
(Pictures available via Backgrid & Splash. Photographer credit: Brett Cove)
Damage to wheelchairs or essential mobility devices
When they leave Disabled passengers on flights for a prolonged period once the flight has landed
When they fail to provide adequate assistance despite prior knowledge of Disabled passengers’ needs
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/rightsonflights
Sophie Morgan comments: “I am pleased to be at Downing Street to deliver the RightsOnFlights Open Letter to the Prime Minister today, but I wish I didn’t have to be. My wheelchair, which is essentially my legs, my independence and my lifeline, was broken by an Airline and I, like so many other Disabled travellers, have had enough.
Throughout the campaign, thousands of people have contacted me to share their own traumatic experiences on flights – equipment being broken, no toilet access, lack of accessible safety materials, inadequate assistance, adults dragging themselves around airports, or down aircraft aisles, children being left, like discarded rubbish, on the aircraft for hours. Worse still are the countless numbers of people who are now avoiding flying as or those who, due to the inaccessible design of the aircraft, aren’t able to fly at all.
This has been happening for decades. It really is unbelievable that we are having to fight for our basic human rights in 2023. The systems that are currently in place are clearly not fit for purpose.
We are in a crisis and we need our Government to support and protect us by granting the Civil Aviation Authority the power to impose fines when Airlines (and other parties) fail us. Other countries have these in place, so why don’t we?
And this is just the start. We will not stop here. Next, we will be calling on the Department of Transport to draft new and improved assisted travel legislation. The time is NOW and this visit to No.10 today is one step on the long but necessary journey towards systemic change.
So, it’s a shame Rishi didn’t invite me in for chat this time, but this won’ation at the highest political levels.”
