Canadian travel blogger and wheelchair user Tori Hunter was carried down the plane to disembark in Costa Rica. Photo / Tori Hunter Instagram
Canadian travel blogger and wheelchair user Tori Hunter was carried down the plane to disembark in Costa Rica. Photo / Tori Hunter Instagram
“It’s 2024, disabled people deserve a more dignified and safe way to fly.”
A wheelchair user was left “distraught and absolutely terrified” after being carried by four airport employees off a plane in Costa Rica.
In a viral Instagram post, 26-year-old Canadian travel blogger Tori Hunter shared a clip of the dangerous way she disembarked a plane in Liberia, Costa Rica.
The influencer who aims to raise awareness prefaced the post by saying, “It’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 16), so it seems like a fitting day to share what happened on my flight to Costa Rica last week.”
In the video, Hunter was seen visibly distressed while four on-ground personnel slowly carried her off the plane using a “broken” aisle chair.
Wheelchairs are stored in the hold during flights and therefore, wheelchair users like Tori are not able to take their own wheelchair into the main cabin of the plane.
Hunter said the situation was “not safe for anyone”.
Because of this, her father had to hold her head to keep her neck safe, since the chair kept tilting to the side while she was being carried off the plane.
“Never in my life have I felt so out of control and so disconnected from my body”, she wrote.
Hunter said she was never informed that this is how the passengers will disembark.
“I was never informed that this would be how I would have to disembark the plane, and it never crossed my mind given that this airport DOES use jet bridges. In fact, all of the other planes around us were pulled up to them.”
Air Canada, the operator of the flight, explained in a statement that the airport did not have an aircraft bridge available, necessitating the use of an alternative method where “all protocols were followed”.
The airline asserted that all protocols for assisting customers with disabilities were adhered to but also said that as part of their accessibility plan they “will be reviewing airport procedures, including for smaller foreign stations, with the aim of working with local airports and other partners to find ways to provide more consistent service.”
Air Canada, the operator of the flight promises to revisit procedures and improve services, especially for smaller airports. Photo / Supplied
According to Rights on Flights, a global initiative advocating for accessible air travel, such incidents are “all too common.”
“We are sad and frustrated to see yet another bad experience for disabled passengers when travelling by plane. It’s very visible how uncomfortable and fearful Tori is feeling getting off of the flight.”
Hunter advocates for a more accessible world for disabled people like her. She told the BBC that in an ideal world, she hopes flights would be fully equipped and accessible for people using wheelchairs, making it safer for travellers like her.
