ON THE SOAPBOX: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE

Very Welsh, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was born with spina bifida and confined to a wheelchair from the age of seven.  She is an Olympic Gold medal athlete, a campaigner for the disabled and a member of the House of Lords. 

Last year she was asked by the Department for Transport (DfT) to chair the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG).  Their report has been published and this is an abridged version of her summary.

There are approximately two million flights per year that arrive or depart the UK. It is hard to establish accurate data on how many Disabled people fly, but it could be around 1.5% of all passengers. What became clear during our research is that there was no pattern of good and poor performances and while many journeys occur perfectly well there are still too many gaps and poor experiences. One poor experience can create obstacles for future travel or stop someone flying altogether. 

There are some tough challenges to tackle.  The rising type of request for support can range from navigating an airport (where there may be long walks), to needing an aisle chair or a much higher level of support. Passengers should be as independent as possible but that requires a nuance in the service that is offered.

Disabled people are not one homogenous group and what they require can be very different depending on multiple factors, meaning there is not one solution that fits all. Unsurprisingly there has been many calls for a more tailored improved service, through training that puts the voices of lived experiences at the heart of it.

The issues that can occur can include, but are not limited to, missing flights or connections, lack of empathy, use of non-inclusive language, mobility equipment broken or going missing, or an extended period to wait to embark / disembark. It can also include inaccurate application of the rules on travelling with batteries or what mobility aids are allowed. 

Some of the cases of poor experiences hit the media headlines but the reality is most do not. Those that do may remain as a story for a day or so, but then slip away and to the users it feels like the issue has been forgotten. Many people reported being frustrated that it is difficult to complain or find a resolution in a timely manner. Some said that they do not complain because of the challenges of doing so. 

A number of cases were reported to me that were just not great, but the individuals did not feel it either warranted their time raising it or nothing could be done. It is also hard to provide general feedback which could result in service improvement which is not in itself a complaint.

Travelling by plane should be relatively simple. It should be booking a flight, pre-notifying of needs where possible (which does help planning) turning up at the airport and receiving the support you need to get on a plane. The procedures that sit behind this are more complicated. Booking assistance is not as simple as it could be, there are many different ways that this can be actioned. It is not always easily understood as to who has jurisdiction or responsibility for various parts of the journey and that is why when it goes wrong it is hard to find the right place to seek a response.

The paucity of accurate data is an issue. Where there is data available it does not necessarily reflect some of the variety of experiences that people have. A number of Disabled people got in touch directly and offered positive solutions about changes that could be made. What became clear is that many Disabled people do not know what to expect from their journeys. Some I spoke to said that they did not know what an appropriate time to wait for a mobility aid or assistance off a plane was. This can lead to inconsistency of experience.

There were many detailed debates on a range of issues which are not able to be taken forward at this time. Some solutions that were suggested were reliant on international jurisdictions and rules. For example, a detailed and useful debate on the use of batteries as part of a mobility aid.  This is a complex subject.

There was no firm view on the continuing use of either a badge or lanyard being used to identify people who may need some extra support. 

Being able to change the name on tickets at late notice was another suggestion. There were also suggestions for adaptable tray tables and footstools. There were very helpful meetings with those that work in the area of allergies. Again, it was not possible to make recommendations that sat across different jurisdictions, but it is important to keep highlighting these issues.

The report is not seeking to look at experiences that would impact all passengers such as flight delays. It is purely about improving the experiences that have an impact on an individual because they are disabled. In practice I have no power to enforce any recommendation, so it is based on the goodwill of the industry who want to do better. 

The AATFG and those who we met will have heard me say there is no budget that comes with this and at the time of writing the government had no legislative plans in the pipeline, so it was essential that all recommendations are practical. That did not stop me from leaving behind some ideas if the government were ‘so minded’ in the future. 

What became clear and was endorsed by all was that everyone deserves to be treated with respect through the process and should be able to fly without worry. A disabled flyer should be a happy flyer. 

THE FULL REPORT.  IT IS A LONG READ IN TYPICAL GOVERNMENT JARGON

www.gov.uk/government/publications/aviation-accessibility-task-and-finish-group-report/aviation-accessibility-task-and-finish-group-report 

AND A SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS

www.tanni.co.uk

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