MY PREDICTION -- IT WON'T BE IN WIDE USE FOR ANOTHER TWO DECADES
When I saw
this story, I smiled and my heart fluttered a bit.
Maybe, not
long after things get back to normal, maybe people with disabilities could fly
like the rest of human beings.
No more
shameful percentage of damaged wheelchairs.
No more laws
that treat wheelchairs like luggage instead of the legs and essential mobility
of millions.
And end to
business people who uses wheelchairs for mobility wearing diapers because
planes are designed to prevent them from making it to the bathroom that is too
small for them to get into or use.
A gradual
end to people with disabilities being the most unemployed and under employed of
any minority group.
Then I
caught myself.
This is one
small firm’s dream.
It is
seeking crowd sourced funding.
That means
not a single air carrier is interested in investing toward pathway to being
inclusive.
It means or
president, senate and house of congress doesn’t give a damn about government
research funding for design that would uplift the lives of tens of millions.
It means no
aircraft mechanic, flight attendant, pilot or other union wants to end painful
and wicked discrimination by making a stand for onboard wheelchair access.
It means
there’s a better than 50-50 chance that my wife and I will be dead and buried
long before there’s so much as a test flight on a one hour short route.
It means the
only efficient means for business travel will remain largely off limits and
discriminatory against people with disabilities.
