Disabled BBC star forced to crawl to toilet as Polish airline doesn't have wheelchairs

BBC writer Frank Gardner has utilized a wheelchair since helium was earnestly injured successful a shooting successful Saudi Arabia backmost successful June, 2024, and has highlighted what it is similar to person go disabled

A disabled BBC writer was forced to crawl to the toilet connected committee a Polish formation aft compartment unit claimed it was hose argumentation not to person wheelchairs onboard.

Veteran newsman Frank Gardner shared a photograph of himself crawling connected the floor adjacent to 2 different radical connected committee a LOT hose formation from Warsaw connected Monday, September 30. In the representation uploaded to societal media, Mr Gardner bemoaned the concern arsenic discriminatory toward wheelchair users.

Mr Gardner has used a wheelchair aft helium was changeable respective times and earnestly injured successful an onslaught successful Saudi Arabia backmost successful June, 2004. He has antecedently explored what it was similar to go disabled successful the 2020 BBC Two documentary Being Frank.

"Wow. it's 2024 and I've conscionable had to crawl on the level of this LOT Polish hose to get to the toilet during a formation backmost from Warsaw arsenic 'we don't person onboard wheelchairs," Mr Gardner said connected X/Twitter. "'It's hose policy.'

"If you're disabled and can't locomotion this is conscionable discriminatory. In fairness to the compartment crew, they were arsenic adjuvant and apologetic arsenic they could be. Not their fault, it's the airline. Won't beryllium flying LOT again until they articulation the 21st century."

Since being uploaded onto the societal media platform, the station has been seen much than 253,000 times and has attracted much than 4,700 likes. Many who saw the station astir Mr Gardner's concern shared their outrage connected societal media.

X idiosyncratic Hazel McIntyre said: "Shocking. So atrocious to perceive this, isn't it clip airlines are obliged to supply connected committee wheelchairs to beryllium capable to clasp licences to alert into planetary airports."

Tim Hill posted: "[I] deliberation this hose needs to beryllium challenged connected its disablement rights accessibility programme. Extraordinary that this should beryllium happening successful 2024."

Accesible Stratford commented: "This was 1 of the reasons I stopped flying galore years ago. Another was my powered wheelchair being utilized arsenic a luggage trolley. All these years aboriginal precise small has changed, it's shameful."

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, immoderate rider with a disablement oregon reduced mobility is entitled to enactment erstwhile traveling by air. "This means airports and airlines indispensable supply assistance and assistance, which is escaped of charge, and helps guarantee you person a little stressful journey," it added.

A person's close to assistance is stipulated successful UK instrumentality and applies erstwhile you alert connected immoderate UK hose from a UK airport, flying to an EU oregon UK registered hose to a UK airdrome and if you alert from extracurricular of the UK oregon EU to the EU connected a UK carrier.

The Mirror has contacted Mr Gardner and LOT airlines for comment.