"It’s not right": Man left to drag himself off Air Canada flight due to lack of wheelchair assistance
A Canadian wheelchair user and his partner are sharing his terrible experience on an Air Canada flight after he had to drag himself off the plane due to a lack of available wheelchair assistance.
Rodney Hodgins and his wife Deanna were travelling from Vancouver to Las Vegas on an Air Canada flight on August 30. The BC couple was taking a trip to celebrate their one-year anniversary.
Hodgins uses a motorized wheelchair because he has Spastic Cerebral Palsy, meaning he has no ability to walk or bend at the waist.
Deanna told Daily Hive via email that Rodney stays in his own wheelchair until he gets to the door of the aircraft. He’s then transferred into a narrow chair called the Washington chair.
Deanna and Rodney Hodgins in Las Vegas. (Supplied)
“Wheelchairs do not fit down the isles of the planes, so Washington chairs are used. Washington chairs are owned by the airlines,” she stated.
When disembarking the plane on this particular flight, Rodney was not provided accommodations to help him exit the flight.
He was left with no choice but to drag himself out of his seat to the front of the plane, with assistance from Deanna.
She said Rodney remains “in shock that in 2023 he would even be asked to do this.”
“Physically he’s good now, although reliving this has presented some new health scares. I think this will be with him emotionally for the rest of his life,” she said.
“He just keeps saying, ‘They all just looked at me while I struggled. They did this to me because money [is] more important.’ The flight attendants don’t get paid while the wheels are on the ground, and Air Canada doesn’t want delayed flights, so they forced us off, all for a dollar.”
Air Canada responds
In a statement to Daily Hive, Air Canada said it has been in contact with Hodgins and offered him compensation “for his upsetting travel experience.”
The airline said that its investigation “determined the flight attendants followed procedures, including offering assistance that was declined.”
Air Canada said it uses a third-party wheelchair specialist in Las Vegas to provide transport on and off the aircraft for those requiring mobility assistance. The airline added that “following this serious service lapse, [it] will be evaluating other mobility assistance service partners in Las Vegas.”
Deanna told Daily Hive that the airline sent the couple a letter admitting that they “broke the law by violating the Canadian Disabilities Act.” Air Canada also offered Deanna and Rodney $1,000 each in compensation.
But Deanna says Air Canada’s response simply doesn’t do enough to acknowledge the accessibility needs of its passengers.
“That doesn’t address the issue of persons with physical disabilities being abused by the airline. We want to see policy change and massive penalties for violating human rights and the disability act,” she said.
Canadian Transportation Agency investigates
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) confirmed it is currently investigating the incident.
In a statement to Daily Hive, the agency highlighted that under the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) (large transportation service providers) and Part VII of the Air Transportation Regulations (ATR) (small transportation service providers), airlines must provide passengers assistance with mobility aids.
“Air carriers are also required to assist a person with a disability in boarding and disembarking an aircraft,” said the agency.
The CTA said they provided Hodgins information on how to formally submit a complaint to the agency but has not heard back.
“Airlines must follow the obligations set out in the regulations and are subject to administrative monetary penalties for non-compliance,” said the agency.
“Even in the absence of a complaint, when we are made aware of an incident that could be a violation of the regulations, the Agency’s designated enforcement officers look into the incident.”
“We have lost faith in airlines”
Deanna said the impact of the incident put a damper on what was supposed to be a special anniversary trip.
“We travel to make the best of life because we never know when my husband’s body won’t be able to handle travel. We are just trying to make memories,” she said, adding that they lost “many days” of the trip due to Rodney being hurt because of the incident.
“It’s not right to take that joy from us and then not even care about the impact of their actions.”
Rodney Hodgins in Las Vegas. (Supplied)
Deanna added that the experience has made her and Rodney extremely hesitant to fly again.
“We have lost faith in the airlines,” she said, adding that they have experienced many other issues while flying due to airlines not being equipped to properly assist people with disabilities.
“Airlines need to commit to treating people with the dignity, respect and due processes that are awarded them with Disabilities Act,” she said.
Deanna noted that the couple is determined to keep speaking about discrimination against persons with disabilities and they are looking to connect with politicians at the federal level to try and make a change.
She remains hopeful that she and Rodney can return to Las Vegas for a much better experience.
“We love being in Las Vegas. It is so wheelchair friendly that my husband’s mobility challenges feel like they have disappeared,” she said.
“We look forward to trying to celebrate another anniversary and hopefully, we don’t experience any of these challenges again.”
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