Air Canada Apologizes After Disabled Man Forced to Drag Himself Off Plane

Air Canada has issued an apology following a distressing incident where a man with spastic cerebral palsy had to drag himself off one of its planes due to the lack of a wheelchair. Rodney Hodgins, a 49-year-old hardware salesman from British Columbia, experienced this harrowing event when he traveled to Las Vegas with his wife, Deanna, in August to celebrate their anniversary.

Despite requiring a motorized wheelchair for mobility, upon landing, a flight attendant informed the couple that there wasn’t sufficient time to board a wheelchair before the plane’s next takeoff. Initially, the Hodgins believed the flight attendant was jesting when she suggested that Rodney would have to make his way off the plane without assistance. “I said, ‘Of course I can’t. I’m in a wheelchair. I can’t walk,’” Rodney stated to the Canadian Press.

However, the grim reality soon dawned on them. Rodney mustered his upper body strength to pull himself past twelve rows of seats, with Deanna supporting his legs throughout this arduous process.

Deanna later took to Facebook to share the distressing incident, mentioning how it left both of them shattered.

The incident brings to the fore the importance of airlines maintaining the utmost sensitivity and provisions for passengers with disabilities. Air Canada’s apology, while essential, underscores the necessity for airlines worldwide to ensure such lapses in service and empathy do not occur in the future.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, theguardian.com