Passengers in wheelchairs can't use most airplane washrooms. That could change

L4sBot@lemmy.worldmod to Technology@lemmy.world – 236 points – Passengers in wheelchairs can't use most airplane washrooms. That could change
techxplore.com

Passengers in wheelchairs can't use most airplane washrooms. That could change::With airplane bathrooms inaccessible to most people with disabilities, those who use wheelchairs have a necessary pre-flight routine: Dehydrate and hope for the best.

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The United agreement was prompted by an incident in which a passenger died after her custom wheelchair was damaged during a cross-country flight.

Jesus, I already hated United for breaking my reinforced toolbox and fucking me over on four recent flights, but this takes the cake. I avoid them whenever possible now.

I looked into it, and apparently she spent months fighting with them to replace her wheelchair. In the meantime, she developed sores from being in a generic wheelchair, and she ended up needing two emergency surgeries, and either passed away due to complications, or due to the sores directly.

The United agreement was prompted by an incident in which a passenger died after her custom wheelchair was damaged during a cross-country flight.

I just wonder how the hell this connects back to a fucking bathroom. How's the wheelchair breaking lead to a someones death?

You see that headline thing at the top of the page? It's a link. You can click it and read stuff.

If the headline can't summarize the article correctly, then it shouldn't be used

As a tall fatass, I'm glad. While the benefit is obvious and necessary for people who need it, I'l happily ride their coattails and enjoy the bathroom I can both stand up and turn around in.

This specific article text appears to have originated on a "custom health content provider" called HealthDay.

Original: https://consumer.healthday.com/passengers-in-wheelchairs-can-t-use-most-airplane-washrooms-that-could-change-2665762945.html

Language curiosity: The article uses the term "washroom". US airlines use "lavatory", as does the new regulation (see below). General US usage is "bathroom", even without a bath; most other Englishes would say "toilet" or "WC". This article may be AI-generated, but the AI is Canadian.

That said, here's an NDRN statement from last year on the proposed rulemaking and here's NPR reporting on it ... and here is the actual rule as published in the Federal Register.

In summary:

  • The rules apply to new aircraft, and to aircraft where the lavatory is replaced.
  • Aircraft have to be equipped with onboard wheelchairs.
  • Required lavatory features include grab bars, accessible faucets, and room for a wheelchair user to transfer themselves from an onboard wheelchair to the toilet seat.
  • Flight attendants need to be trained in helping onboard wheelchair users.
  • They have to have signs saying the lavatories are accessible.
  • Airlines have to figure out how to handle medical waste (e.g. used needles) safely.

Wheelchairs can't be used on planes either so it makes sense that the airplane bathrooms aren't wheelchair accessible. As a 6'3" man, I also cannot use airplane bathrooms as they were designed for 90lb 5'1" individuals.

Wheelchairs can't be used on planes either so it makes sense that the airplane bathrooms aren't wheelchair accessible

Are you trying to say that people who need wheelchairs are never on airplanes?

Nothing in your comment makes sense.

For example, a friend of mine gets a special wheelchar upon boarding the plane. That special wheelchair is small enough so that it can be used inside the airplane. His normal wheelchair gets loaded as cargo then.

Which literally goes back to his point as airplanes are not designed for wheelchairs. ...

Mate, I'm 189cm (6'2.4) and manage perfectly well in a 737 bathroom whichever function I need to perform, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Your girth maybe?

I'm not girthy just unable to stand up in an airplane bathroom without hunching over to fit the curve of the fuselage.