Low-cost airline Jetstar reportedly refused to let a woman with cerebral palsy fly because they thought she wasn't able to understand instructions.
Ashley Papworth, 21, was trying to fly from Brisbane, Australia to Newcastle to see her family but the cabin crew decided that she couldn't fly because they thought she couldn't understand what they were saying.
Papworth, who uses a wheelchair and a hearing aid, travels often and has never had any issues with discrimination. Her family was shocked by the way she was treated.
"There were family members available to help Ashley on to the flight and also to help with her on arrival at Newcastle," Papworth's grandfather, Michael Folbigg told News.com.au. "(The airline) cited difficulties in communication as their reason for their refusal. Ashley is (diagnosed with) cerebral palsy, not an imbecile."
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes said he wasn't surprised by the way Papworth was treated as he says disabled people are discriminated against by airlines on a regular basis. He said it occurs more often on low-cost and budget airlines.
"Airlines are continuing with a policy that treats people with disability like second-class citizens," Innes told News.com.au.
Papworth's family reached out to disability service provider Northcott to explain the incident. The company's CEO Kerry Stubbs says that airlines must train their staff members better to put an end to discrimination against the disabled.
"Get some training for your staff to help them see the person, not the disability," she said. "Too often we hear of companies that see people with a disability as a problem, rather than as a customer."
Jetstar released a statement about the incident. They noted that Papworth has flown with her family before. A spokesman offered an apology to Papworth.
"One of our key independent traveller requirements is that a passenger must be able to communicate that they have understood our crew's safety and emergency instructions," the spokesman said.
"In this case, based on interactions with the passenger and her parents, our team was not satisfied that Ms Papworth could travel on this flight without an accompanying passenger."
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