Aviation staff need disability training, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson says
The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group called for disability awareness training to be rolled out across all aviation roles, including airline crew, assistance providers, ground services, security and hospitality staff.
It highlighted a need for passengers to access information easily about their travel, including how they can request and book assistance, where they can find in-airport support services, and detailed guidance on how their mobility aids will be transported.
The taskforce also called for passengers to be able to find transparent information on complaints procedures.
The group will now work to help ensure its proposals are adopted by airlines, airports and regulator the Civil Aviation Authority.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson outside the Houses of Parliament (PA)
Lady Grey-Thompson said: 'This report is the next critical step in making air travel more inclusive for disabled people.
'I'm grateful for the commitment the industry has shown to making change and breaking down barriers in aviation for everyone, bringing freedom to travel, whether for leisure or work, and to connect with friends and family.
'We know there's more work to be done, and I look forward to seeing these recommendations turned into action which truly puts accessibility at the heart of aviation.'
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'Everyone should be able to travel with dignity and be respected at every stage of their journeys, including disabled passengers.
'That's why we established this group in November last year, and I welcome this report's findings which will clear the runway for greater accessibility in aviation.'
Annoyed to find that @HeathrowAirport is slipping back into its old bad habits, leaving disabled passengers still waiting for a high-lift to turn up so we can get off the plane, long after all others have disembarked. Other airports can manage. C'mon Heathrow, get a grip! pic.twitter.com/upFQ0XJwkf
— Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) June 3, 2025
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, said carriers are 'committed to removing barriers so that flying is accessible to all', and will support the 'implementation of these recommendations'.
Karen Dee, boss of industry group AirportsUK, said the report will 'build on the work already being done by airports, and the wider sector, to ensure air travel is accessible to all'.
In June, BBC journalist and wheelchair user Frank Gardner was forced to wait 95 minutes for a medical lift so he could leave an aircraft that had arrived at Heathrow's Terminal 5.
The airport apologised and said the delay was caused by its assistance provider responding to a medical emergency, which reduced the number of vehicles available.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'Lightweight and easy to use' grass trimmer has £50 discount
The cordless Thompson & Morgan 20v Grass Trimmer can tackle weeds, brambles, grass and features a 90 degree adjustable head If you're in the market for a handy tool to keep your garden looking trim, a grass trimmer might be just the ticket. Yimbly, the shopping marketplace owned by Daily Mirror's parent company Reach Plc, has a discount on the 'easy to use' Thompson & Morgan 20v Grass Trimmer. Originally retailing at £99.99, this means you can snap up this gardening essential for £49.50. The cordless trimmer is capable of tackling weeds, brambles and grass, and features a 90-degree adjustable head. Combined with its extendable length from 95cm to 115cm, this gadget can easily reach most areas. The Thompson & Morgan 20v Grass Trimmer comes equipped with an edge guide, a safety guard and a stabilising handle for 'comfortable and safe usage'. It includes a charger, charging base and a battery, providing 30 minutes of runtime from a three to five-hour charge, reports the Express. Amazon is currently offering a similar Flymo Contour 500E Electric Grass Trimmer and Edger with a 10 per cent discount. Now priced at £45.49, this alternative features an adjustable, steady handle with a soft grip for enhanced control and comfortable use. Bargain hunters looking for a wallet-friendly option might be interested in the Bosch EasyGrassCut 23 Grass Strimmer, currently discounted at Robert Dyas. This handy tool has been slashed from £39.99 down to £31.99. It's important to mention that both this and other similar alternatives are not cordless models. The Thompson & Morgan 20v Grass Trimmer hasn't garnered any reviews on the Yimbly website as of yet. However, it's receiving accolades on the Thompson & Morgan official site, with every reviewer giving it at least four stars. A particularly pleased customer gave it a full five-star rating, saying: "Great little strimmer. Lightweight and easy to use." Another happy user remarked: "Does the job brilliantly," adding: "Easy to use. Wonderful that it's cordless." A third chimed in with praise, noting: "Does exactly as it says. Very good operation and light to carry." An additional review highlighted the trimmer's convenience: "This trimmer is a Godsend. It is light and easy to use. The batteries which power it take only about 30 minutes to recharge, but buying an extra one to use while the other is recharging would be well worth it." They also recommended: "It is also worth buying some spare blades. The trimmer is good for cutting grass, including trimming lawn edges, and will soon pay for itself in saved gardener's bills in keeping the garden tidy." Yet, they did point out a limitation: "One has to be aware of its limitations, though. Trying to use it where a heavier petrol strimmer is needed to cut thick brambles or tough weeds will dislodge or break its little plastic blade."
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Disability: ‘I just want to get home to my family,' says wheelchair user
Katie Trodler was due to fly home from Hamburg, Germany, when the assistance staff failed to turn up. The plane was delayed for an hour while they waited, with the pilot telling the mum-of-one he would "physically carry" her on to the plane if the problem did not get fixed. As a wheelchair user she said it was an "embarrassing" experience, but according to her and others is not a unique one."I'm not choosing this situation. I'm not a passenger that's kicked off. I'm not drunk and disorderly. I just want to travel like everyone else on the plane and get home to see my kid and husband," said Katie, from Holywell, Flintshire. According to Welsh Paralympic gold medallist David Smith, the way people with a disability get on and off a plane, and the problems they experience, "hasn't changed in the last 20 years". The Civil Aviation Authority, the UK's aviation and aerospace regulator, said investment from airports and airlines had resulted in "significant improvements" for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility, but admitted there was "much more" to week former Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson published a set of recommendations after leading a UK government-commissioned review looking at how airline and airport staff support disabled Rights UK has called for urgent action, and said disabled people have been made to feel like "second-class citizens". Katie has been a wheelchair user most of her life after a cancerous tumour damaged her spine when she was 10 months became a regular in the skies 15 years ago when she started a long-distance relationship and now frequently flies for the most part the flying process was "smooth", she said, but when Covid hit, the 37-year-old noticed a difference in the service."Staffing levels are much lower. When I flew from Hamburg the assistance didn't turn up and the plane got delayed by an hour," Katie said. "It was so embarrassing because everyone on the plane knew why their flight was delayed."The mother-of-one said she often felt like a burden when flying and that staff and passengers are not happy when there is a delay. "I think it adds an extra layer. It's already stressful worrying if your chair is going to be in one piece when you arrive and on top of that you feel like they hate you as a passenger."Katie added she has needed to "argue" her case to use her personal wheelchair when checking in at airports, as staff had previously insisted she use a porters chair without the correct support which had to be pushed by someone said: "Where's the dignity? Where's the autonomy?" Karen Beattie, 64, had a motorbike accident in 1994 leaving her with a spinal many years she did not fly after hearing about the "hassle" of getting on and off a plane and the worry of equipment being now tries to get abroad at least once a year, but dreads flying because she does not know what assistance she will receive from the airport and from Prestatyn, Denbighshire, said to get on to a plane she needs to use an aisle chair rather than her own manual chair, with staff helping by lifting under her arms and legs."They didn't work together and didn't lift me high enough causing the aisle chair to fall over," she said, recalling one experience. "They had to try and put me back on my chair and it was then that I was nearly dropped. I was concerned that I would have bruises and even a pressure sore."Another time, Karen said she was left "mortified" when a pilot blamed loading her wheelchair as the reason for a delayed take off. "You're just hoping that the ground could open up and swallow you because you become the spectacle, you become the entertainment before the fight takes off."I complain to the airport every year but there hasn't been any improvements," she said. Paralympic gold medallist David Smith said the process for him to get on to a plane was "quite soul-destroying" and had not changed in the last 20 years."I don't think we've made any progress," said David, from Swansea, who has cerebral palsy."I find a lot of the assistance staff aren't suitable for the job. People who can't help with moving and handling where their job is to literally lift me from one point to another."Recently, David said he had noticed more care taken by the ground staff when handling his 36-year-old said: "I think there's less damage nowadays than there used to be back in the day. So that's good."David added he understood some logistical problems cannot be helped, but said employing the right staff and providing the correct training could prevent bad experiences for future flyers with a the findings led by Baroness Grey-Thompson, last week's review said airline and airport staff were receiving "inconsistent" training, providing 19 recommendations, including disability awareness training being rolled out for all aviation roles, such as crew, ground services and hospitality. A spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said it "regularly" set standards on accessibility at the UK's main airports and reported on how these are met, resulting in "significant improvements" for disabled passengers."We strongly believe that everyone should have access to air travel and expect all passengers from the UK to be able to enjoy the best possible flight," they authority acknowledged "there is still much more to do" following Baroness Grey-Thompson's report, adding: "We continue to hold airlines to account in meeting their obligations to disabled and less mobile passengers across all parts of their journey."Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said: "Flying is not a luxury. It's a fundamental freedom that should be accessible to everyone. For too many disabled people air travel is marked by stress, anxiety, indignity and exclusion. "Airlines, airports and regulators must recognise that disabled people have the right to fly with the same independence, safety and dignity as everyone else. Anything less is unacceptable."
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson unveils plan to improve air travel accessibility
Outdated language and inconsistent training for aviation staff are negatively affecting the experience of flying for disabled people, a new review of air travel accessibility in the UK has revealed. The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG) group, established in November 2024 by the Department for Transport (DfT), aims to improve accessibility for disabled people on board aircraft and in airport terminals. Former Paralympian and accessibility campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson led the AATFG in curating 19 key accessibility recommendations for airlines, airports and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Welsh crossbench peer told The Independent that she is familiar with 'really bad' travel experiences – something that can be 'catastrophic' for a disabled person if things go wrong. According to the 16 July report, improved training for airline and airport staff, clearer passenger information and robust complaint procedures are needed to make flying more inclusive. One 'poor experience' can stop someone from flying altogether, found the AATFG. The review featured issues including missed flights, the use of non-inclusive language, broken or lost mobility equipment and an extended wait time to disembark. The taskforce said that clearer passenger information is key for travellers to book assistance, access airport support services and transport mobility aids independently. 'Some of it is disabled people knowing their rights,' said Lady Grey-Thompson. She also called for aviation workers to do more to help passengers with complaints when things do go wrong. As chair of the AATFG, Lady Grey-Thompson said the 'biggest part 'of creating the report was industry representatives 'coming together, sitting in the same room and talking about it'. 'It's actually just trying to join up the system', she added. The report highlighted an obvious inconsistency in accessibility training across different airports and airlines. A lack of inclusive language was revealed, with 'outdated' terminology often used in the aviation sector. It added that disability awareness training – developed alongside people with lived experience – should be rolled out for all aviation staff, including ground services and those in hospitality roles. Lady Grey-Thompson said: 'Everyone in the airport needs to have an understanding of both visible and invisible impairments.' Although in other sectors the 'excuse' of more training would earn an 'eye roll' from the Paralympic medallist, in aviation, the standardisation of training could be used to create a positive experience for disabled travellers. She said: 'For everyone to have the same type of training sounds so basic, but it would make a lot of sense. 'It's about treating everyone with respect from security to the gate.' The group chair added that experiencing discrimination while travelling, even in an airport café, can 'affect the whole journey' for disabled flyers. She previously told BBC Breakfast of her 'humiliation' at being blamed for the late departure of a flight after the captain announced the delay was "because of the wheelchair." According to CAA data, 5.5 million passengers requested assistance at a UK airport in 2024 – 1.9 per cent of total travellers. Lady Grey-Thompson says that key sectors of the aviation industry have 'recognised that they need to do better' following repeated media scrutiny of airlines for leaving passengers on a plane or damaging mobility equipment. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, has repeatedly criticised accessibility services at London Heathrow. Just last month, Mr Gardner was kept waiting for 90 minutes after other passengers had disembarked following a British Airways flight from Singapore. Improving airport accessibility frameworks – used to assess how airports perform against their legal obligations – was also recommended to the CAA. As of the latest airport accessibility report, most airports were ranked in the 'good' or 'very good' categories. The group recognised it would be 'quite expensive' to fully rebuild older airports but added that the aviation industry should 'learn from its mistakes quickly and rectify them.' Airport accessibility guides, and 'enhanced access to assistance throughout the airport journey', are among the 19 recommendations. Lady Grey-Thompson said: 'This report is the next critical step in making air travel more inclusive for disabled people. 'I'm grateful for the commitment the industry has shown to making change and breaking down barriers in aviation for everyone, bringing freedom to travel, whether for leisure or work, and to connect with friends and family.' Currently, there are no legislative plans or budget from the government to enforce the changes. However, future airport eGate plans include wider accessible gates. The group will now start to deliver the recommendations for disabled passengers, with progress reports to the DfT to ensure proposals are adopted by the industry. In response to the report's release, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'Everyone should be able to travel with dignity and be respected at every stage of their journeys, including disabled passengers. That's why we established this group in November last year, and I welcome this report's findings, which will clear the runway for greater accessibility in aviation. 'I know the industry is working hard to make services more inclusive for all, and I look forward to seeing these proposals becoming a reality with the support of the group. Now is the time for action and to make a real difference so that people can travel with confidence.'
