The transport secretary has appointed Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson to lead a new expert group to ‘look at’ tackling the biggest barriers to air travel for disabled passengers.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group will run in partnership between industry and consumers and will deliver a series of recommendations and proposed actions to the transport secretary next year.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
The group will also include presenter Sophie Morgan, co-founder of global disability group Rights on Flights and a campaigner for improved aviation accessibility.
The DfT said the taskforce will engage directly with individuals who have first-hand experience of flying with a disability, ‘ensuring the group can act as a platform to advocate for disabled passengers and that consumer voices are at the heart of progress’.
It said the taskforce will spend the next nine months reviewing how to tackle problems that impact disabled passengers’ travel experience and dignity, which could include:
- being left onboard aircraft without timely assistance
- poorly handled wheelchairs
- inadequate service
- lack of access to toilet facilities
- limited access to clear information.
Transport secretary Louise Haigh said: ‘Everyone has the right to travel with dignity and it is vital we ensure that flying is an accessible, safe and enjoyable experience for all.
‘For too long, disabled passengers haven’t had the standard of assistance and service they need. That’s why we are bringing together this expert taskforce to drive forward change.’
Baroness Grey-Thompson, said: ‘I am looking forward to working with disabled people, industry experts and the Department for Transport to improve access to flying.
‘It is essential that the rights of each passenger are protected at every aspect of their journey, so they can travel with the respect they deserve.’
The DfT said that by establishing the Group the government ‘has sent a powerful message to the community and airline industry, that change is in the air’.
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