Travel. The very word fills me with a sense of excitement and a bit of longing – excitement to be able to explore lands, people, and cultures that are foreign to me; longing because there are so many destinations in the world I have yet to explore. My family and I have always enjoyed traveling. It’s something my husband and I are passionate about, and we did our best to instill that sense of wonder and confidence to explore in both of our children. Several years ago, travel took on an even greater meaning when we became empty nesters. Now we could focus solely on destinations that filled our desires. We’re fortunate that we’ve been able to experience some terrific trips thus far, but no one ever travels thinking something tragic might happen.
My husband suffered a spinal cord injury when we were vacationing in Bali with friends last summer. When this happened, our focus quickly shifted to his recovery. Months in the hospital, and even longer in a wheelchair, quickly made us realize that travel as we knew it would forever be changed…or would it?
Ray had already been discharged, but, as part of its recreational therapy program, the hospital offered him an opportunity to go through a simulation of what travel in a wheelchair would be like at San Francisco International Airport. We would have the experience of going through security, pre-boarding an actual plane just for our group, and lunch afterwards. Even though it sounded like a terrific way to overcome an intimidating part of resuming our travels, we didn’t realize how terrific an experience it would turn out to be.
The morning was sponsored by United Airlines in partnership with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. We met Ray’s recreational therapist, her assistant, our small group of former patients, their plus ones, and representatives from the airline and TSA. When a person is traveling with a wheelchair, many components go into a safe, comfortable flight. We learned that thorough communication begins well before one arrives at the airport; from letting the reservation agent know the level of assistance you’ll require once at the airport, to the weight of your wheelchair, as well as the type of battery your wheelchair runs on if you happen to be in a motorized chair.
After our very informative briefing, we made our way through security and to our gate, where we were again briefed on the actual boarding process. Accessibility agents were there to offer assistance to those that would require additional help. They are the ones to escort the wheelchair-bound passenger down the jetbridge, help them transfer to an aisle chair just prior to boarding the plane if needed (conventional wheelchairs are too wide for airplane aisles), and help transfer from the aisle chair into their airplane seat. Again, communication between passenger and agents was key.
Once on board, we were greeted by the flight attendant crew. They explained the protocol for flights with physically impaired passengers. A crew member is assigned to that passenger to ensure comfort, privacy, and assistance in case of an emergency. We also had the chance to hear from the crew (many came in on their day off!) about why they enjoyed working this particular “flight.” The common thread was their passion for travel (no surprise) and how happy they were to be able to assist passengers with physical impairments realize their travel goals, regain independence, and overcome the fear of traveling in a wheelchair.
Afterward, lunch was hosted in the United lounge. It was a fun way to end our morning with the usual questions – How’d you end up in your chair? How long were you in the hospital? Are you still in physical therapy or occupational therapy? What are your travel plans? – and chat more with the flight attendants.
Fast forward a couple of months. Ray is now walking without assistance, and we are looking forward to a couple of big trips in early 2020 to Costa Rica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We’ll forever be grateful for all we learned that morning at SFO, to United Airlines for hosting the experience, SCVMC for extending the invitation, and the accessibility agents and wonderful flight crew that were so respectful and kind. We were reminded that the excitement and discovery of travel (however close or far) can be accessible to everyone with good communication, kindness, and patience. Come to think of it, those are great traits to cultivate whether we’re traveling or not.
