Flying High - Air Travel With Sight Loss

Air travel has made the world a much smaller place. People can now fly to the other side of the world in a day, or take the early morning flight to work. If you have sight loss, however, this service can be cumbersome to use.

In this blog, I will tell you about some of my experiences when travelling by air.

Navigating an airport by myself used to be a daunting task. Airport terminals are so big, with multiple corridors taking you to different areas of the airport. Once I found out you could book assistance, I was much more comfortable flying solo. You just need to book in advance, letting the airport know what assistance you require, and you’re all set.

A few years ago, however, I had a less than great experience. I went to the assistance desk at the airport and told them I had booked assistance. They then informed me that I first of all had to check-in before they could offer me the service.

This meant I had to go to the check-in desk, show all my paperwork, weigh my luggage, get my boarding pass, and then return to the assistance desk. I did not know where my check-in desk was, as I could not see the notice boards, so this was impossible for me to do.

Luckily my friend who dropped me off hadn’t left yet, so they took me to the check-in desk, but it is very strange that this is the way this service is offered! It felt like they didn’t understand my disability and the kind of help I required. After I checked in, my sighted guide was excellent. They helped me through security, got me onto the plane and got me to my seat. They even asked if I wanted to look around duty-free!

When I got to my transit airport, another assistant was waiting for me at the plane door. They had a wheelchair for me, and I tried to explain that I did not need a wheelchair and only needed sighted assistance, but they said I had to go in the wheelchair.

This was frustrating for me because I do not have mobility issues, so putting me in a wheelchair made me feel like another perceived disability was being forced on me and that they didn’t fully understand my disability and how I should be treated.

On a separate trip, I had an equally negative experience. I was travelling with my family, and I was standing at the check-in desk. A staff member was checking our documents, and he looked at my son and said, ‘Does he need assistance?’.

Although it was good that he noticed that I was blind and that I might need assistance, couldn’t he ask me directly? Does the fact that I am blind mean that I can’t answer questions myself? I then went on to the security gate, and another staff member said to my wife, ‘Does he have a phone in his pocket?'. This made me feel really small, as I like to think of myself as a fairly articulate person, but in these instances, I was treated as less than a child.

Thankfully, when I got onto the plane, my experience improved. The air steward on my flight was excellent. Whilst the safety instructions were being given, he sat next to me and allowed me to feel the oxygen mask and the life jacket. He then showed me how to access movies and which ones had audio descriptions. This made me feel like I was being acknowledged and included, which is a basic right that everybody should have, whether they have a disability or not.

I have had both positive and negative experiences with air travel. The accessibility of travelling by air was greatly affected by the attitude of others. If just a little thought is given to the needs and wants of disabled people, air travel can be an enjoyable experience for all.