LapLap,
I was in MXP and FCO over the weekend with AZ. Passengers' own wheelchairs are checked-in (witnessed in FCO). The passengers are provided with wheelchairs from the airport (presumably) and are driven to the gates on golf carts (you know what I mean!) (FCO I think). This includes accompanying passengers.

These passengers also bypass the queue at the boarding gates (witnessed in MXP). They are the first to get on the plane (MXP) but are the last to disembark (FCO). If required to walk/take the bus to the plane or vice versa, they have their own mini-vans (FCO), so they won't have to squeeze onto the buses with us riff-raffs.

I think you'd feel you're Royalty!