CANADA (Commonwealth Union)_ After refusing to let a blind woman board a trip from Toronto to Minneapolis with her guide dog, Air Canada has issued an apology.
In order to get home, Dena Wainwright, a 49-year-old Canadian who resides in Minnesota, was forced to take the train from Toronto, drive across the border, and board a domestic flight, all of which cost her more than $2,000 in total. She has vowed never to travel with the airline again. Not to mention the stress, according to Wainwright’s statement to CBC Toronto.
“Being treated like a criminal and held captive by Air Canada staff while having them speak to my daughter instead of me. Like I couldn’t have a meaningful conversation with the agent because I was psychologically ill,” she said.
Wainwright’s situation is not the first time this year that Air Canada has faced criticism for the way it handles disabled passengers. Maayan Ziv, an advocate for accessibility, took a ride on Air Canada from Toronto to Tel Aviv in September. However, when her plane landed, she discovered that her wheelchair had been broken.
Wainwright was born with a genetic eye disorder, which has rendered her absolutely blind. She travelled from Minneapolis to Toronto last week to spend her daughter’s birthday with her. Her five-year-old black Lab service dog Lilo was also accompanying her on the trip.
Wainwright claims that she had no trouble getting aboard the Air Canada trip from Minneapolis to Toronto or getting anywhere on it. When questioned if the animal was registered with the airline during check-in, Wainwright said that it was not. “Oh, that’s fine, they responded. Have a wonderful flight, they wished us as they gave us our boarding passes.” stated Wainwright.
However, Wainwright claims that the service dog became a significant issue when the party attempted to board their return aircraft in Toronto. She claims that a member of the Air Canada crew informed her that she was unable to fly with Lilo because she had failed to submit the necessary papers for bringing a service animal on board an aircraft.
She claims she had the choice to load the dog in cargo, but Wainwright claims it wouldn’t have worked because she depends on the dog for assistance.
Wainwright claims that the airline further stated that the dog might enter the cabin provided its owner “proven to them” that she had a disability by displaying a card from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Wainwright claims that because she resides in the United States, where there is no counterpart, she does not possess a card.
