A Canadian blogger documenting her travels as a wheelchair user is speaking out about an incident with Air Canada that left her “terrified” in hopes of bringing attention to the lack of accessibility accommodations on airlines.
Tori Lacey posted on social media about her experience when arriving at an airport in Liberia, Costa Rica, earlier in May.
The 26-year-old has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness, and uses a power wheelchair.
When disembarking from the plane, Lacey thought she would be able to leave via a jet bridge, the enclosed, moveable connector that extends from the terminal to the plane.
Tori Lacey/ Supplied
However, she learned that no jet bridge was set up, meaning staff had to carry her down a narrow flight of stairs in an aisle chair — a small wheelchair used to transport passengers with disabilities to and from their wheelchair before and after flights.
In this instance, Lacey noted the aisle chair she was sitting in wasn’t properly equipped to transport any passenger.
“This is me, being carried down a flight of stairs in a broken aisle chair — no armrests, straps that wouldn’t tighten enough to keep my body in, and front wheels that were busted off,” Lacey wrote in a now-viral post.
“You can see from my face how distraught and absolutely terrified I was.”
@torihunter.blog It’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day, so it seems like a fitting day to share what happened on my flight to Costa Rica last week. This is me, being carried down a flight of stairs in a broken aisle chair — no armrests, straps that wouldn’t tighten enough to keep my body in, and front wheels that were busted off. You can see from my face how distraught and absolutely terrified I was. The individuals that were sent to help me disembark this plane likely had very little training on how to do so; they kept having to place the chair down from not having the correct grip, and they were holding the chair completely sideways (hence my dad trying his best to hold my head so it didn’t completely fall over). We didn’t speak the same language so they continued along without understanding my repeated “no’s”. Never in my life have I felt so out of control and so disconnected from my body. I was never informed that this would be how I would have to disembark the plane, and it never crossed my mind given that this airport DOES use jet bridges. In fact, all of the other planes around us were pulled up to them. I love sharing my travels as a wheelchair user because I truly believe that there is so much in this world is accessible and I want to inspire people to experience that. But, this is one of those instances where traveling with a disability is, unfortunately, not so glamorous. It’s 2024, disabled people deserve a more dignified and safe way to fly. #rightsonflights @Air Canada ♬ original sound – Tori Hunter | Disabled Travel
Lacey noted the staff sent to help her probably didn’t have proper training to assist a wheelchair user.
“[They] kept having to place the chair down from not having the correct grip, and they were holding the chair completely sideways (hence my dad trying his best to hold my head so it didn’t completely fall over),” she wrote.
The blogger added that because she and the staff didn’t speak the same language it was hard to communicate with them about her discomfort and concern.
“Never in my life have I felt so out of control and disconnected from my body.”
As an avid traveller, Lacey said she enjoys sharing her adventures, but this scenario was an instance where “travelling with a disability [was], unfortunately not so glamourous.”
“It’s 2024. Disabled people deserve a more dignified and safe way to fly,” she concluded in her post.
Lacey corresponded with Air Canada in advance
In a phone interview with Daily Hive, Lacey said she always flies with Air Canada and hasn’t experienced issues before.
She added that she has a file with the Air Canada medical desk and the airline knows the dimensions of her wheelchair and what kind of assistance she may need. Before her trip, the 26-year-old said she and her family called the Air Canada medical desk to confirm they had all of her details.
“We definitely did have conversations with them ahead of time because we wanted to just make sure that the cargo door would be big enough to take my wheelchair out,” Lacey explained.
When the plane landed, Lacey started to worry when she noticed there was no jet bridge.
She said she noticed other landed planes did have jet bridges connected to them.
When passengers started to get off the plane, Lacey was told by flight attendants that she would also need to use the stairs.
“I really started to panic because I’ve never done this before,” she shared.
The blogger added that it was not a “dignifying process to have all these people touching [me] and handling [my] body in ways I’m not comfortable with” while she was being carried down the stairs.
“It wasn’t just about me”
Lacey’s video received thousands of comments and reactions on Instagram and TikTok.
She said she shared the original post on Global Accessibility Awareness Day because it felt fitting to shed light on what many people with disabilities experience when travelling.
While many people were supportive of Lacey speaking out, there have also been many others leaving unkind messages on her post.
@torihunter.blog Replying to @StarDust5858 ♬ original sound – Tori Hunter | Disabled Travel
Lacey admitted she was “shocked” that some folks had nothing but mean things to say.
“It’s been really hurtful,” she said, adding that she has shut off her Instagram comments.
In a video responding to some of the comments, she clarified that she made the original post to bring attention to wider systemic issues that people with disabilities face.
Tori Hunter/ Supplied
She said she didn’t make the post to bash the staff that helped her and she had no intention of coming off as ungrateful for receiving help getting off the flight and adds the issue goes beyond one airline.
“It’s not just an Air Canada problem. It’s every single airline … it’s 2024 and this is their solution for [wheelchair users] to get off the aircraft,” she stated.
“I find people with disabilities were so accustomed to just going with the flow and being like, ‘Yeah, this situation sucks, but I have to do it’ and people stay quiet. They’re put in these situations but they’re not safe.”
Not the first incident with Air Canada
This is not the first time a wheelchair user has expressed disappointment with Air Canada’s lack of accessibility training and services.
In September 2022, a Toronto woman named Maayan Ziv posted an emotional video stating that Air Canada broke her wheelchair. In March 2023, Ziv complained that the carrier refused to store her wheelchair in the cabin.
In October 2023, Canada’s chief accessibility officer (CAO), Stephanie Cadieux, posted about how the airline left her wheelchair in Toronto after she landed in Vancouver. She arrived without her essential mobility equipment.
“This was immensely frustrating and dehumanizing – and I was furious,” Cadieux said at the time.
@Stephanie4BC/X
A month later Rodney Hodgins, a wheelchair user from BC, was forced to drag himself out of his seat to the front of the plane, with help from his wife because the airline did not provide any assistance for him.
Air Canada was slapped with a $97,500 fine in December 2023 for multiple violations of the country’s regulations on accessible transportation for people with disabilities.
The airline also recently issued an apology to passengers with disabilities and announced an acceleration of the implementation of its three-year accessibility plan to make “travel easier and more comfortable with disabilities.”
Air Canada/ Screenshot
On its website, the airline has listed a series of “commitments” it is making to passengers with disabilities to ensure a safe and inclusive travel experience.
Lacey said she hadn’t heard anything from Air Canada, but she’s also hoping that her post has sent a larger message about accessibility accommodations.
She explained that the disability community is “a minority that you can become a part of any time.”
“Anyone can form a disability at any point in their life. If you break a leg and require a wheelchair you experience temporary disability. If you’ve had surgery, or as you get older you are going to benefit from accommodations.”
Daily Hive reached out to Air Canada for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.
With files from Natalia Buia and Irish Mae Silvestre.