Young and disabled
 

Hi. So, I am brand new here, but figured it was the place to go to ask some questions.

Next month I will be taking a 2 hour flight or so alone and it will be my first time needing assistance. I can't walk the equivalent of maybe a block and stand for about 2 minutes at a go on a good day. I know I will need to ask for wheel chair assistance. I am 18, but at times can easily be mistaken for someone who is 15 or a touch younger. I am nervous about the stigma of trying to get help when so young. Is there anything I can do/say to avoid the looks/comments/questions?

I also will not be able to lift my own bags. I may need to bring a bag as a carry-on as well because of cost. Will someone be able to help me on the plane or do I just have to hope I can flag down someone nice and ask them to lift them for me?

Is there anything else I should know? (I got that I should carry small bills to tip and always say thank you when I am getting help.)

Bother, I forgot to add that I look completely able-bodied, which seems to make people more upset.

I'm in a similar position and have developed quite a thick skin about nasty comments and snarky remarks coming my way. Bring medical paperwork, doctor's letters and carry multiple copies in case they get lost or need to be filed and be prepared to show them to airline personnel if challenged.

It still bothers me when some people are outwardly nasty or accuse me of "pretending" note or not but that's just the way it is. Also be prepared to get shoved out of the way by the elderly :rolleyes: who think you're encroaching on their "turf" :( There are also some weirdos around that want to know the where and whys of your situation so be prepared for that too (ignore or have the short version of your story).

Call in advance for the wheelchair and remind them at check-in. Do not leave the plane until they bring you your wheelchair.

Call your airline now and ask customer service for the "disabilities desk" (DL's term) or ombudsman or whatever term that particular airline uses for special needs pax and talk to them about seating, wheelchair access, getting your bag stowed and any other concern you might have. I'm not saying they'll be able to answer/help all your questions, but at least you'll better know where you stand. Also make sure your limitations are noted in your reservation so the FA's know this is a real medical problem and not just a "wants extra help for no reason" issue.

At the top of this forum is a "sticky" - permanent thread - with some of the codes airlines use for levels of need. You might want to look it over before you talk to the airline.

Do you have a handicapped parking placard? If so, having it with you can sometimes eliminate questions from those you need to deal with - like gate agents. My level of disability varies and it isn't visible, so I usually keep my parking placard in hand with my board pass and other assorted papers when asking to board early and when the airline staff see it, they usually are pretty helpful without me needing to answer a whole lot of questions.

If you encounter busybodies who aren't in a "need to know" situation: either ignore 'em or give a blank look and say "That's confidential" because you don't owe them anything!

I once has the TSA tell me I couldn't use the special assistance line because I didn't "look handicapped", she had no way to verify my handicapped placard was really mine. Never mind it has the exact same name as my ID and BP. :rolleyes: Gate agents have always been accomodating.

If you encounter this, what happens when you insist that you really are disabled? I've been using a chair since age 30, which isn't that young, but still young enough to get people to think I don't look "handicapped". I haven't had anything happen with TSA, but they do ask me if I can get up, or if I can remove my shoes. Since I can do neither, I do have to insist sometimes that I really can't do those things. They have not given me a problem after that. What happens when you do the same?

Fortunately, I rarely need a wheelchair - only if I would have to stand for a long time. Asking for a supervisor doesn't always help because they usually side with their own. I just go to another line or checkpoint. I wrote the airport TSA manager, and was told the placards are only good for driving and in parking lots. You can't reason with someone whose mind is already made up. :rolleyes:

I find that most TSA agents are incredibly poorly trained when dealing with people with disabilities. I'm a paraplegic traveling with my own chair, my legs have atrophied to the size of most people's forearms, and still, most of the time I encounter TSA, they will remark clever things like "uh, I'm supposed to push you, but your chair doesn't have handles" or bark things like "I need you to stand up." Once I tell them that I can't, they often get marginally friendlier, and will phrase requests more cautiously ("can you push up/lean forward/etc"). The shoes policy varies from airport-to-airport and day-to-day, but generally if I impress upon them how much of a production it is to get my shoes back on they will let me keep them on. I can't begin to imagine how badly they treat disabled people who don't look disabled enough (per the agent's opinion).

Ya, what's up with that? I have been getting angry looks from old people ever since I've been in a chair. It's not just when parking in "their" handicapped spots (I've gotten yelled at several times from people who were elderly but practically able-bodied), but also angry looks when rolling around in public. What gives?