Make life easier, not more difficult

One of the frustrating things about being a person with a disability in our society is often having to deal with people who do not have them.

They are supposed to make our lives EASIER, not HARDER!

A friend my mine, who is a wheelchair user, had a tough time with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) recently when she called them up to book a local flight ticket.

Having travelled with the national carrier numerous times, she could not understand why there was suddenly a problem this time around for passengers who used wheelchairs.

In fact, the very reason why she chose MAS in the first place – instead of a competitor – was because of her pleasant experiences with the airlines before.

MAS was always popular for its friendly service towards persons with special needs among the disabled community.

Flying is frequently a cinch.

An aisle or cabin wheelchair would be provided without a hassle. This is after you have informed the customer care services that you are a passenger with a physical disability who uses a wheelchair to get around.

This airlines' wheelchairs are specially designed. They are smaller than the regular wheelchairs.

More importantly, they are built to be narrow enough to negotiate through the passenger seats in an aircraft. Furthermore, bits and pieces of the wheelchair can be temporarily removed in order to help you squeeze into your designated seat.

This means that wheelchair users would have to transfer themselves from their personal wheelchairs into the aisle chairs.

They are switched back again at the airport after they have arrived to their destination.

This is done either at the check-in counter, or when you are wheeled by the airline porter to the door of the plane.

Without the help of these wheelchairs, it would make access to your seat complicated, unsafe even.

You would have to be physically carried into the aircraft by the cabin crew.

This is not advisable as injuries and accidents can occur to the passenger or the helpers in the process.

No medical documents are required to entitle wheelchair users to the aisle chairs.

However, much to the chagrin and shock of my friend, this time she was told to fill up a medical form to qualify for the use of the facility.

Not only that, she was also told to print it out.

The phone staff assumed she had access to a computer when many disabled people in reality do not.

My friend was also instructed to have it filled up by her doctor, and then, submit the forms to their nearest office – in this case, in Subang.

Never once during the entire phone conversation did the "customer care" staff ask my friend if she would have problems fulfilling those tasks. Even when my friend tried to tell her, she just turned a deaf ear.

My friend is a single mother who is struggling to make ends meet. She has no transport of her own. She has to depend on taxis in order to get around, even though it is frequently beyond her means.

I thought it was absolutely absurd that my friend was asked to get a doctor's approval before flying.

For one, she is not a hospital patient.

She became disabled four years ago. She is now doing her best to lead an independent life.

The airlines should not only know this difference but also appreciate the difficulties wheelchair users face in public transport.

They should also understand the fact that it would take weeks and months to get an appointment with a government doctor.

One can understand the need for such a procedure when it involves a seriously ill patient who is being transported for treatment from one hospital to another, but it should never apply for those who are permanently disabled.

Other than requiring assistance to her seat in the plane, my friend is quite able to do things on her own.

There is, fortunately, a happy ending to this story.

After persistent calls to MAS, the matter was referred to a senior staff. They finally gave in to my friend's request for an aisle chair like what they used to do before.

There was no need for forms or medical consultations.

Here is the point: all front line staff, new or seasoned, should be promptly trained in handling disabled customers.

They should possess a working knowledge and basic understanding of what living with disability is all about so as to avoid what my friend had to go through.

They should also be reminded that their goal should be to help, not frustrate people with special needs.

My friend, by the way, flies out to Kedah this morning. She will return to her home in Selangor tonight. – April 6, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.