Having returned from vacation in London, I admit that I come back impressed and satisfied with the commitment they have there to people with disabilities. I was able to verify this on another previous occasion and I confirmed it again on this new trip.
When you enter Gatwick Airport, the mere sight of the white cane will prompt airport staff to come to your aid. Facilities for accessing the appropriate counters or assistance in accessing the plane upon return. In an airport crowded with passengers at nine in the evening, with nowhere to sit, we came across a specific room for people needing assistance.
Like the rest of the airport, it was filled with travelers. To my surprise, they told me that I could wait there with my family and that they would help us board. There were people with all types of disabilities in the room. Both physical, intellectual or sensory people as well as elderly people with a walker. They gave me a remote that vibrated as we boarded. From there, my two daughters and I were invited into a small electric car that took me and two other passengers to the same gate. Maximum surprise when, in an anteroom of the plane, the flight attendant who was guiding us asked the other passengers to give up their seats to those of us who were in the stroller. Surprisingly, no one protested or got angry with the flight attendant.
When booking accommodation, we requested that our apartment be close to reception, to facilitate my mobility. A success since they allocated us an apartment very close to the lobby. They are small aids that improve and facilitate our personal autonomy.
When it came to accessing museums and monuments, again I was surprised at how normal it was to offer help, even though I wasn’t British. The palaces offer free escort tickets for people who need assistance. The staff at the access doors always approach and invite you in in a more direct manner, even if this involves walking around the building, as in the case of the National Gallery.
Of course, unfortunately, as soon as we arrived in Spain, all this sensitivity seemed to disappear. Aena has a number where you can ask for help a few hours before the flight. But the spontaneity of the participants is greatly appreciated. In London, it was enough to be seen with a cane to have the possibility of being helped. At Seville airport passport control, where I was stuck between the two automatic gates, no staff approached me to ask if I needed help, even though I saw myself with the cane in hand. They opened the door and that was it, without saying another word. Levels and degrees of commitment to disability.
