Air Canada has found itself in a position to offer an apology after a distressing incident involving Rodney Hodgins, a 49-year-old hardware salesman from British Columbia who suffered from spastic cerebral palsy.
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- What happened to Rodney Hodgins?
- What did Deanna Hodgins write in her Facebook post?
- How did Air Canada respond?
What happened to Rodney Hodgins?
During a candid trip to celebrate their anniversary in August, Rodney’s dependence on a motorized wheelchair became a central and emotional theme of his story.
He and his wife, Deanna, traveled to Las Vegas for this special occasion.
According to a recent Facebook post by Deanna Hodgins, a flight attendant, the couple was informed after landing that there was not enough time to get a wheelchair on board before the plane turned around for the next takeoff.
The couple initially assumed this statement was made in jest, but their disbelief deepened when the attendant reiterated the request that Hodgins disembark the plane on his own.
“I said, ‘Of course I can’t.’ I’m in a wheelchair. I can not walk'”. he told the Canadian press.
Hodgins was forced to rely on his upper body strength to maneuver between 12 rows of seats, with his wife helping him by holding his legs.
What did Deanna Hodgins write in her Facebook post?
Deanna expressed in her Facebook post that this experience had deeply distressed them.
“It was difficult for us to fight, in front of a dozen people, while some looked away and others looked with shame, to get him off that plane… he hurt his legs and I hurt my back; He emotionally hurt me much more… my husband’s. “Human rights were trampled and Air Canada does not respond to us and never came close as they promised,” she wrote.
“Rod is the most beautiful human being on the planet and he didn’t deserve this at all.”
He explained that the couple had diligently planned this trip for eight months and had taken all necessary steps to ensure they had all their requirements in order.
“Air Canada failed us in every way.”
How did Air Canada respond?
The company admitted that Hodgins had not received sufficient assistance.
“We utilize the services of a third-party wheelchair assistance specialist in Las Vegas to provide safe transportation on and off the aircraft.” the statement said.
“Following our investigation into how this serious service failure occurred, we will evaluate other mobility assist service partners in Las Vegas.”
In October, Air Canada lost Canada’s chief accessibility officer Stephanie Cadieux’s wheelchair, an experience she characterized as “immensely frustrating and dehumanizing.”
Cadieux emphasized that these types of incidents underscore the pressing need for airlines to improve accessibility.
unpack
In Rodney Hodgins’ case, the airline offered a C$2,000 flight bonus, but he firmly stated that the compensation would not rectify how the airline had let down its disabled passengers.
“I just wanted to make a difference for someone else so they don’t have to experience that again.” he said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn