Sophie, who is a wheelchair user and frequently travels internationally for her TV work, conceived the campaign with Marion Fellows MP and Disability Rights UK after recently having her bespoke wheelchair and electric-powered front-wheel BATEC system damaged beyond use on a journey between Los Angeles and London.
The Rights On Flights campaign is calling for airlines and other actors to be held accountable for damage to wheelchairs or essential mobility devices, or when they leave Disabled passengers on flights for a prolonged period once the flight has landed or when they fail to provide adequate assistance despite prior knowledge of Disabled passengers’ needs.
The CAA's current regime of oversight for accessible air travel is limited and ineffective in holding airlines and/or other actors to account when such issues arise. Charters and codes of conduct would not work.
Sophie said: “Enough is enough. This is a short-term solution to an ongoing problem and the beginning of a long journey towards a whole system overhaul of the entire airline industry. Disabled people need to be able to have the confidence to trust air travel. And this campaign is the first step for that. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for our experiences to match those of non-disabled people. How many more people need to get hurt, lose vital mobility equipment or even die before we see change?”
Marion Fellows MP has written to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and all Parliamentarians, and the wider public is being invited to write to their MP in support via the Disability Rights UK Rights On Flights campaign page:
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/rightsonflights
The hashtag #RightsOnFlights will be used across social media.
DR UK, Disabled TV presenter Sophie Morgan and MP Marion Fellows have launched a new campaign to demand that the Government grants the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) the powers to fine airlines and other actors if they fail to look after Disabled passengers and their equipment.