Influencer shows how she travels the world while legally blind
Molly Burke is legally blind and has had trouble getting through airports many times.
Staff video, USA TODAY
- Travelers with disabilities should plan ahead by contacting their airline early and arriving at the airport in plenty of time.
- It helps to be prepared for potential problems and to remain patient and kind when problems arise.
- Enrolling in a program like TSA PreCheck can help expedite the security screening process for your upcoming trip.
“Something seems wrong.”
As a person with a disability, Marc Raymond Jr. fully expects that when traveling, especially during the holidays.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some kind of disability.
“I am a power wheelchair user and suffer from quadriplegia from the chest down,” Raymond said.
He was paralyzed in a 2016 accident and has dedicated his life to helping people with disabilities by founding Split Second Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive resources and care.
“Traveling is painful, especially when you have a disability. I think it’s painful for able-bodied people, too, right?” he said. “So when you face challenges, it becomes a little more complicated.”
Over the years, many travelers with disabilities have spoken to USA TODAY specifically about the challenges of air travel. Raymond shared five practical tips to help you navigate this holiday season.
1. Pack your patience.
“One of the big aspects of vacation travel is knowing you’re going to be dealing with a lot more people,” he said. “So one of the biggest tips I give people is to have patience.”
2. Plan ahead
“In the travel process, you often want to take more time to make sure everything is going well,” he says. “Call as far in advance as possible to make sure everything is scheduled as you need it to be.”
“As a power wheelchair user, I always call the airline as soon as I book my ticket and request an ADA seat on the plane, because the airline will move you with a bulkhead, or an attendant if you need one,” he added. “They also ask you in advance what type of chair you have, how much it weighs, what kind of batteries the chair has, etc. because some of these smaller regional aircraft cannot accommodate a power wheelchair without laying it on its side or damaging the chair.”
A disabled woman is carried up the stairs from an airplane
Flight crew members used an aisle chair to transport the disabled woman, but the woman said it lacked armrests and was badly damaged.
3. Prepare for the worst
“You can almost predict that something will go haywire,” he says. “If you act on that expectation, it will definitely help you prepare if you encounter any adversity along the journey.”
4. Arrive early
“Go to the airport earlier,” he said. “You’re the first one on the plane, so get to the gate early. You want to get on the plane, make sure you’re comfortable, and have everything set up for your chair. Especially if you’re a wheelchair user, having to carry your chair from the bridge of the jet to the bottom of the plane just gives you extra time to secure everything in your chair.”
“These are my legs. That’s my back,” he added of the wheelchair. “What I tell people who are loading chairs is, ‘Don’t break your legs,’ because you might end up in a situation where you end up getting hurt because you don’t have the specialized equipment. And for someone like me, sitting on a hard chair at an airport can cause pressure sores.”
5. Stay calm when things don’t go well
“Try to be a blessing to others,” he added. “Try to handle the situation to the best of your ability and don’t be hostile to the process, because…just being kind makes a big difference, especially when the other person is trying to help. And more often than not, it’s also an issue outside of their control.”
“We want people to want to work with us,” he added. “I mean, this is a very personal experience, right? You have people coming to pick you up to put you in a seat, picking you up to put you in a chair in the aisle, and you don’t want them to feel anxious or nervous while you’re doing that, because if you fall or something, you could cause some harm again. You give them advice on how to deal with it. We want to give them clear direction, but again, they need to feel valued for doing this work…A lot of people feel underpaid and undervalued in these roles, so again, that’s why it’s so important to perform gracefully and support the system.”
For future trips
Although it’s too late to get TSA PreCheck in time for vacation travel, Raymond strongly recommends that travelers with disabilities enroll in the program in the future.
“It just speeds up the process,” he said. “You don’t have to go through what I call an airport massage, a really tough massage to make sure you’re not wearing any kind of weapon. And that process takes time.”
TSA offers modified screening procedures for travelers with disabilities through TSA Cares. TSA is also working on a free pre-screening program for disabled veterans. Although TSA does not offer waivers or discounts to other travelers with disabilities, some credit card companies and loyalty programs will cover your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry registration fees.
