Disabled teacher offloaded from flight

KOLKATA: A teacher who suffers from cerebral palsy was forced to get off a flight at the Kolkata airport on Sunday morning as the airline felt she was not fit to fly. She was asked to get off the aircraft and driven back to the terminal building even as she sought an explanation. She was told that the captain of the flight had refused to fly with her on board.

Jeeja Ghosh, head of advocacy and disability studies at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP), was unable to travel to Goa where she was supposed to attend a seminar. This is, however, not the first time she was flying alone. Jeeja claimed to be a frequent flier.

"I was escorted to the flight by an assistant and I was in my seat. After a while, I realized that a commotion was going on around me. I sensed something wrong.

Then, a flight crew asked me for the boarding pass and told me to get down from the flight. I was put in a car and brought back to the terminal building. I was hysterical as the flight officials did not bother to explain why they had stopped me from taking the flight," said Jeeja.

The officials said that the captain was reluctant to fly with her which is why she was asked to get off, alleged Jeeja. "Some officials were sympathetic, but they failed to convince the captain. I had demanded that I be allowed to board any other flight or they refund the money. But the officials assured me that they will try to accommodate me on Monday. The airport officials took a written complaint from me and promised to take action. Later, they dropped me home."

Several social activists resented the action of the flight officials. Sociologist Ruby Sain, who is a close acquaintance of Jeeja, said,she was used to travelling alone and had never faced any difficulty.

"Jeeja has studied abroad and often travelled around the country for academic seminars. No airline has even found her unfit for a flight. It's both strange and shocking. She was humiliated. Airport officials and flight crew should be sensitized on challenged passengers." said Sain.

Shampa Sengupta, a disability rights activist, said, it was unfair to get her off the aircraft.

"I have known her for many years and she is definitely fit to fly.

Other than a slight tremor of the head and a minor speech problem, Jeeja doesn't suffer from any major disability. She should have been allowed to travel. The airline owes an explanation," she said.

Airport officials said some airlines require challenged passengers to carry a 'fit to fly certificate'. "Since she was not carrying one, the airline chose not to have her on the flight," an official said. Jeeja, on the other hand, claimed,that she had been flying without the certificate.

"I have never been stopped form boarding a flight without this certificate."

IICP executive director Reena Sen termed the incident unfortunate. "This is not the first time that a challenged passenger has been harassed.

Our institution will take up the issue with the government and human rights organizations," said Sen.