It’s the second time this year that Nina Nizar’s wheelchair has been damaged on a plane, but she said it’s now worse.
“My wheelchair broke. It’s broken before, but not this time,” she told USA TODAY.
Nizar said he was flying back to Nebraska from Vancouver via Denver on Oct. 13 when he saw his wheelchair fall from the baggage belt after landing in Omaha.
“Nobody had it, no one was going to take it, so it just fell off,” she said. “That’s crazy, are you kidding me?”
In May, a chair armrest broke after a flight on Southwest Airlines, but the device was still usable. Nizar says he can’t even turn on his wheelchair now.
Recognizing the extent of the damage to the jet bridge, Nizar ended up spending hours at the Omaha airport after the flight trying to figure out what remedies were available, and ultimately in a non-functioning wheelchair. I was pushed to the entrance of the airport, and my girlfriend carried me home. her husband.
“I started crying. I was so upset and I said, ‘How can this happen?'” she said. “I was numb. I was just in shock. .”
United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to USA TODAY.
“We have been working with Ms. Nizar to obtain a high-end rental chair. Her wheelchair is currently being appraised by her preferred vendor. We will bear the cost of repair or replacement as appropriate.”
But Nizar said simply replacing the chair would not be enough compensation.
“I can’t walk the dog. I can’t go to the grocery store. It was my son’s birthday the other day, and I needed to go to the store multiple times, but I couldn’t…because I teach. , I have to be able to go out and teach, and I can’t do that,” she said. . “I have to readjust everything and they are not going to compensate for this.”
For now, Nizar said he’s stuck at home until he can replace the chair or get a fully functional loaner one.
“I asked them how they were going to get to work, how they were going to keep food on the table for their families if they couldn’t get around,” she said. “The response from one of the customer service reps was, ‘Please have someone drive me,’ and I was like, ‘What?'” This isn’t my car that broke down, this is my wheelchair. Yes, this is like my foot. ” They just don’t understand. ”
Nizar said it could take up to a year for the chair to be completely replaced because the equipment needs to be customized to the body. She said she feels this whole situation is unwanted by the travel industry.
“I’m even more outraged that we’re isolating this part of society that would otherwise be productive and moving around and working… It’s preventing people from doing what they’re supposed to be doing, you… It’s like a fear mechanism that has been created,” she said. she said. “For me, stopping traveling is not an option and I don’t want to stop traveling, because it’s my right.”
How common is mobility equipment damage during air travel?
According to the Department of Transport, airlines “mishandle” on average about 1.5% of the mobility devices they transport. In 2022, there will be 11,389 accidents reported by U.S. airlines, up from 7,239 in 2021.
This year, USA TODAY wants to highlight what these numbers mean for travelers with disabilities. We will be tracking these incidents throughout 2023, with the aim of shedding light on an all-too-common problem.
If your mobility device was damaged or lost by an airline this year, please share your story with us using the form below.
Zach Wictor is a travel writer for USA TODAY based in New York. Please contact us at zwichter@usatoday.com.
