As
the day of my flight drew nearer, I must admit to a few nervous
butterflies. I wasn’t worried about the flight itself. I knew what to
expect - preboarding, establishing the location of the nearest emergency
exits, and locating the nearest washroom. Then sit back and relax from
takeoff to landing. No worries there! However, it was the time spent
on the ground that was my concern.
My first
worry point was the checkin. My friend, Shirley, was to drop me off at
the terminal doors. What then? As it turned out I had taken only a
dozen steps or so before a ground agent noticed me and approached to
offer his assistance to check me in for the flight.
I
had three separate guides before I finally boarded the plane. Debbie,
who took me through security, explained that she had attended a class to
learn how to assist passengers with special needs. I was pleased to
hear that. I know that assistance has certainly improved over the years
I have been travelling.
My second worry spot
was the time on the ground waiting for my connecting flight. It wasn’t
all that bad but things didn’t go quite as smoothly as boarding the
first leg. For starters, the ground agent wasn’t there to meet my
plane in Vancouver. Fortunately some of the flight crew stayed with me
until they rounded someone up. This particular agent was rushed. In
spite of my request for him to point out the nearest washroom, he had me
at my next gate without pointing out the washroom location. When I
again repeated my request, he gestured back down the terminal hallway,
saying that if I got as far as the escalator I had gone too far. When a
fellow passenger overheard this unhelpful exchange, she volunteered to
guide me back to the washroom. Thanks, Shelley!
I
have heard numerous horror stories from blind and visually impaired
airline passengers but my trip last week went fairly easily. The
experience did remind me of things to keep in mind when travelling
alone. First, I need to be alert to my own travel needs, and when
necessary, be vocal in expressing them. Secondly, I need to be ready to
ask for assistance and be gracious in accepting it.
Thankfully, last week’s solo experience has reinforced my confidence as an independent visually impaired airline passenger.
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