CEO Calls Out Discrimination After British Airways Staff Allegedly Refuse to Let Her Board Flight Due to Her Being in a Wheelchair
A model and business executive has called out British Airways after she claimed that staff would not allow her to board a flight on account of her flying alone while being in a wheelchair. Samanta Bullock said she has flown alone many times in the past without issue and claims that the airline’s police amounted to ableism.
Bullock, 47, a former child model who was paralyzed at the age of 14, went on to place second in wheelchair doubles at the Parapan American Games as well as perform at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony in London. She is also a disability activist who founded Bullock Inclusion, a company that advocates for disability rights and more inclusivity in the world.
Bullock arrived for her flight to London from JFK International Airport according to the New York Post. However, when she arrived at the terminal she was allegedly informed that she would not be allowed to board.
“I was not denied because of a ticket issue, a safety violation or missing documentation.” she wrote in a social media post, “I was denied because I am disabled and traveling independently.” According to Bullock, staff informed her that she would not be able to board the flight as she was travelling alone and “the crew could not assist me to get to the toilet during the flight and could not evacuate me in an emergency.”
Samanta Bullock labels treatment from British Airways as ‘discrimination’
Bullock confirmed that she was looking into legal options, stating, “I believe this treatment may constitute disability discrimination.” The disability activist argued, “If disabled people are expected to travel with a companion, that means we must pay for two flights instead of one.” She went on to state that “We are effectively being charged more for the same freedom and opportunities that non-disabled passengers take for granted.”
Bullock’s story is similar to the ordeal a wheelchair user at a nightclub in the U.K. was put through after a manager kicked them out citing “safety risks.” ordeal lasted several hours before she was transferred to an American Airlines flight where she was asked similar questions.
The former model and activist had just attended the Bullock Inclusion Future of Fashion Show in New York as well as the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations. The rights of disabled people and the importance of inclusivity were discussed heavily. Bullock pointed out the irony of experiencing the exact opposite of that while heading home.
The experience left her feeling discriminated against by the airlines and she vowed to “sue them for all the time and significant discrimination I have suffered.” A British Airways spokesperson told the Post, “We are sorry for our customer’s experience and are urgently looking into what happened. We remain in direct contact with the customer while we review the circumstances.”
(featured image: Samanta Bullock/Instagram/Helmy oved)
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