Alessia Di Virgilio said she “did not feel safe” during a round trip with Air Canada.
In light of the federal government summoning Air Canada to Ottawa this week to discuss a spate of reports about the mistreatment of customers in wheelchairs, Marketplace is releasing an exclusive preview of its hidden-camera investigation which documented a rarely seen first-hand account of the challenges faced by those flying with a disability.
"I think that as people with disabilities, often things that are recreational are frivolous," she said. "But it goes to quality of life and that's the difference between life and living."investigation will highlight accessibility issues across Canada's transit systems, including using vehicles-for-hire with service animals and navigating public transit with a disability.
Di Virgilio, left, agreed to let Marketplace host Travis Dhanraj, right, and his team document her journey to raise awareness of the ordeal people who use wheelchairs go through when getting on flights. By this point, Di Virgilio had been reducing her liquid intake for four days, and had taken medication to stop bowel movements. Once she left her house, she said, there was no way for her to use the washroom until arriving at her hotel, where a lift would be available over nine hours later.Once she made it to the gate, Di Virgilio watched as Air Canada staff allowed first class passengers to board before her.
"I just feel like the system, the planes, the structure, the process, the bureaucracy … is not meant for people like me. And when you try and enjoy a little bit of life, this is what you get to get there.… It's just hard," said Di Virgilio.Di Virgilio's flight home came with its own issues. At Charlottetown Airport, no lift was available, so five staff members, led by Katzman, transferred Di Virgilio into a narrow wheelchair called an aisle chair.
WATCH | Hidden camera catches "traumatic" moment lift falls on passenger's head when Air Canada staff struggle during the transfer to her wheelchair:
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