Passenger rights: Equal access to transport is fundamental

A delegation of the European Disability Forum, led by Executive Committee member Nadia Hadad, met the recently appointed Director General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Magda Kopczynska, on 31 October. As the leader of the services of the European Commission dealing with questions of transport and passenger rights, Director Kopczynska plays a fundamental role in ensuring equal access to transport for persons with disabilities and guaranteeing their rights as passengers.

The delegation focused on issues related to travel by air. Nadia Hadad shared the numerous problems that she and other persons with disabilities face when flying. She explained the ongoing "Equal Rights on Flights" campaign and the need to revise Regulation 1107/2006 on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air to:

• eradicate the common cases of denial of boarding that still happen to persons with disabilities;
• introduce the right to swift and fair compensation if the air carrier still denies boarding;
• oblige the air carrier to provide a ticket free of charge if they request an accompanying person (as it is the case in other transport modes)

She also asked the Director-General about the status of the 2013's Commission proposal to revise Regulation 261/2004, which has been stuck in the Council for the last 10 years and could potentially ensure companies' full liability for damages to assistive devices, such as wheelchairs.

Nadia Hadad, EDF Executive Committee member, said: "I have countless stories of issues when flying, to the point that I am amazed when everything works out the same as for other passengers. This is not fair, and the European Union has the power to uphold our right to travel. We thank the Director General for her availability and hope for a strong collaboration to enforce our rights regardless of our support needs, and guarantee safe transport of our assistive devices."

REHACARE.com; Source: European Disability Forum