Ethiopian Airlines Stops A Disabled Kenyan From Traveling Because He Was On A Wheelchair

“I was traumatized!” are the first words one Harun M. Hassan utters on a phone call with Kenya Insights. The Kenyan man was today denied service when attempting to travel to the United States by Ethiopian Airlines because he was allegedly on a wheelchair.

Under normal circumstances Mr Harun would be greeted at the gate by staff assigned to him specifically to accompany him and walk him through Check-In, on this occasion however, he was greeted by a hostile supervisor who was inhumane to say the least. The supervisor would then refuse to offer services to the man on the wheelchair because he was alone.

“I have traveled to a lot of countries like Moscow, this was not my first time traveling alone.” says the clearly disturbed Author. He further explains how the lady refused to have a look at his ticket which held all his details like his booked seat, the ticket he says clearly indicated he was travelling alone.

“The sad bit is they just left me there, unattended.” the Disability Rights Campaigner who is now at home in Kenya says.

In a series of tweets Author and Disability Rights Campaigner Harun M. Hassan had earlier explained how the airport staff had treated him insensitively and denied him assistance because he was disabled.  “They left me alone& stranded with no options” He tweeted

Today was denied to travel 2 USA by @flyethiopian bcoz of my wheelchair.The lady in yellow was rude & insensitive.She said no provision for assistance. They left me alone& stranded with no options @ARNOVA @LindseyMcDougle@aeikenberry @MwauraIsaac1 @olesankok@USDOT@Ahmedkadar1 pic.twitter.com/j59i2iKA2y

— Harun M. Hassan (@Harunassan) August 27, 2019

He explains this is the first time he has been discriminated by an airline over his disability.

This the lady. She NEVER allowed me to explain my ticket. My first time with @flyethiopian and my first to be discriminated by an airline on the basis of my disability. pic.twitter.com/lVi13Av3ui

— Harun M. Hassan (@Harunassan) August 27, 2019

Mr. Harun who says he was on a very tight schedule had to call his family back home to come get him.

The Airline has reached out to Mr Harun and offered an apology but he says he can not let this go unless they offer a formal written apology and take action on the staff who mistreated him.

“I can not fly with them (Ethiopian Airlines) again, not if that’s the kind of hospitality I will get!” The man says in finality.

The decision by Ethiopian Airlines staff to deny Harun access to travel goes against the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel. The Department of Transportation has a rule defining the rights of passengers and the obligations of airlines under this law. This rule applies to all flights of U.S. airlines, and to flights to or from the United States by foreign airlines.

We have cancelled five of our tickets wirh ethiopian airlines in protests of the action

— AFOSC-KENYA (@AFOSCKENYA) August 28, 2019

Just recently nominated MP David Ole Sankok(chair of the Kenya Disability Parliamentary Association) said that approximately 6.5 million Kenyans living with disability were facing accessibility challenges.

Update:

Y’day 5pm @flyethiopian contacted me 4 apologies & offered opportunity of flying a Business Class. However they requested a pulldown of my Twitter& FB posts.I declined.I rather fly Economy with respect than a knee jerk inspired ‘comfort'. I'm flying 2day a different airline.

— Harun M. Hassan (@Harunassan) August 28, 2019