Helping disabled travellers reach for the skies

Posted by & filed under assist-Mi.

In celebration of the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced a raft of new rules, which aim to strengthen the rights of disabled travellers who want to use UK airports.

Designed to make it easier for disabled people to request assistance, the new rules will make it mandatory for all UK airport and airline websites to have easy to access information for disabled passengers, information that’s just one click away from their homepage. Helpline numbers are also to be made more readily available, and any businesses that fail to comply with these rules will be leaving themselves open to prosecution.

The freedom to travel independently is something that most people take for granted, yet many disabled people feel they are unable to access airports with the freedom that they desire. With many instances of disabled people’s wheelchairs being damaged in transit, or airlines refusing to take disabled passengers, many airlines have a long way to go before they can achieve true equality for disabled travellers.

Which is why Assist-Mi intends to work in partnership with UK airports to open up air travel to all disabled people. Using the Assist-Mi app on your smartphone, you’ll be able to inform affiliated UK airports when you are intending to travel, and give staff prior warning of any assistance you may need. This means that airport staff can then be ready and on hand to help you with directions to accessible parking spaces - whether for short or long stay - and assist you with your luggage, while helping you to travel through the airport and onto your flight.

This process can then be repeated when you return from your trip, making your journey smooth and stress free. Assist-Mi are therefore keen to team up with as many UK airports as possible, in order to help them meet the requirements laid out by the CAA.

If you’d like to help us encourage UK airports and airlines to sign up to the Assist-Mi app, why not get engaged in the conversation on Twitter and Facebook? By joining the conversation you can help us to ensure the aviation industry faces up to its responsibilities to disabled people, so that airports can become truly accessible for all.