Can air travel accessibility really be getting worse?

This article is a little old, but the issue it addresses is not old at all -- the inaccessibility of airline travel.

The article deals with a survey of travels with disabilities in Australia. The incredible conclusion is that airline travel has actually gotten less accessible for people with disabilities. To quote: "People with disabilities have significantly more trouble accessing airline services than five years ago, despite the introduction of a national standard to protect them."

Isn't that outrageous. Can you even think of any other aspect of society where this is tolerated? I can't.

Most sectors of society have improved as far as accessibility at least some. Are things perfect? No. And some situations certainly have not gotten much better through the years.

But to actually get worse? That's beyond belief.

Personally I have never traveled by air with the physically disabled member of our family -- our son, who is a wheelchair user. I know that a big part of that is everything I have ever read about air travel for wheelchair user makes it seem like a huge hassle.

I'm not sure what it will take for airlines to improve the situation. All I can figure is to push it, make them accommodate and show them people with disabilities expect the access and have money to spend on flying. And perhaps as new planes are designed, accessibility can finally be part of the equation.

Then who knows? Maybe access will get at least a little better by the next time this survey is conducted.

Photo from morgueFile.com.