'Dehumanizing': Disabled Man Forced To Drag Himself Off Flight After Air Canada Failed To Provide Wheelchair

Air Canada has found itself in a position to issue an apology after a distressing incident involving Rodney Hodgins, a 49-year-old hardware salesman from British Columbia living with spastic cerebral palsy.

What happened with Rodney Hodgins?

During a heartfelt journey to celebrate their anniversary in August, Rodney's reliance on a motorized wheelchair became a central and emotional theme of their story.

He and his wife, Deanna, traveled to Las Vegas for this special occasion.

According to a recent Facebook post by Deanna Hodgins, a flight attendant, they informed the couple after landing that there wasn't enough time to bring a wheelchair on board before the plane turned around for the subsequent takeoff.

The couple initially assumed this statement was made in jest, but their disbelief deepened when the attendant reiterated the request that Hodgins disembark the plane on his own.

¡°I said, ¡®Of course I can¡¯t. I¡¯m in a wheelchair. I can¡¯t walk,¡¯¡± he told the Canadian Press.

Hodgins found himself compelled to rely on his upper body strength to maneuver past 12 rows of seats, with his wife assisting by holding his legs.

What did Deanna Hodgins write in her Facebook post?

Deanna conveyed in her Facebook post that this experience had deeply distressed them.

¡°It took us struggling, in front of a dozen people as some looked away and others looked on with shame, to get him off that plane ¡­ he hurt his legs, and I hurt my back ¨C emotionally a lot more was hurt ¡­ my husband¡¯s human rights were trampled on, and Air Canada won¡¯t respond to us, and never did reach out as they promised,¡± she wrote.

¡°Rod is the most beautiful human on the planet and didn¡¯t deserve this at all.¡±

She explained that the couple had diligently planned this trip over eight months and had taken every necessary step to ensure they had all their requirements in order.

¡°Air Canada failed us in every sense.¡±

How did Air Canada respond?

The company admitted that Hodgins had received insufficient assistance.

¡°We use the services of a third-party wheelchair assistance specialist in Las Vegas to provide safe transport on and off aircraft,¡± the statement read.

¡°Following our investigation into how this serious service lapse occurred, we will evaluate other mobility assistance service partners in Las Vegas.¡±

Back in October, Air Canada lost the wheelchair of Canada's chief accessibility officer, Stephanie Cadieux, an ordeal she characterized as "immensely frustrating and dehumanizing."

Cadieux emphasized that such incidents underscore the pressing need for airlines to enhance accessibility.

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In Rodney Hodgins' case, the airline offered a C$2,000 flight voucher, but he firmly stated that compensation would not rectify how the airline had let down its disabled passengers.

¡°I just wanted to make a difference for somebody else so they don¡¯t have to experience that again,¡± he said.

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