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But we DID disability training!
Posted on Thursday, October 19 @ 09:20:28 EDT by | 
Yes, they actually said that to me, after I had a seizure after I had a meltdown because my stupid airline made me miss my flight-I suggested, via someone reading what I was typing (I am always nonverbal post seizure. ALWAYS) that perhaps their front desk people needed some training re: invisible disabilities. The title is her response. Mine, which vocal proxy did not read was "My ass" followed by "either they did a piss poor job or they need to do it again."
Read on for Kassiane's entire article!
Kassiane Sibley
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I flew US Airways to Boston from Spokane, WA for hanging out with a friend and the national ASA conference. The guy in Spokane was WONDERFUL, even upgraded me to first class when I had a half hour layover, and called them to tell them to hold the plane till they scanned my ticket. Good thing, as it was a good quarter to half mile between gates and my flight went in late. The flight crews themselves, both directions, were pretty good if a bit patronizing. But the desk people in Boston, they really SUCKED.
See, what happened is this: I had a 6:40 AM flight. America West and US Airways are partners. So we waited in the US Airways line and then they sent us over to America West. This was at about 6:35, traffic was TERRIBLE. My friend told the people at America West that I had 5 minutes to make a plane. "Wait in line" they say. And we waited for over half an hour, because they were so busy getting people on a 7 AM flight to Vegas. Happy gamblers are repeat customers? I don't know.
So. We wait until long after I miss the flight, because they don't LISTEN. Something that bears mention at this point is that I *cannot* get up really early, my choices are miss whatever or stay up all night. I took the latter option. Lack of sleep makes people easier to "set off" so to speak. The first desk person we saw was totally unhelpful, she said she couldn't get me on a plane till 8 PM, I'd get home at 1 AM MDT. My ride back here to Montana can NOT drive in the dark. They had a lot of trouble with that concept. She got snottier and snottier and offered about 5 options that all ended between 10PM and 3AM. At this point there is crumpling and tears and "I just want to go HOME!" fairly loudly.
With me so far? So, I want to go home, and clearly this is very threatening, because this equally stupid desk lady snaps at me to calm down. Bad Idea. Feel the power of my roar: "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!". We had told them over 10 times that I'm autistic. We had told them over 20 times that I needed to get home. And what does Moron Number Two do? "If you don't calm down right now I'm calling the police." Police kill people like me, dumbass. Well, what came out was "Oh that's brilliant. Arrest or kill someone for YOU making her miss her flight. Gods am I glad I'm not NT". Not helpful, but neither were any of them.
Then their managerial person who's had, like, actual training tells my friend and I to go sit in these chairs and they'll see what they can do. But wait. On the way to the chairs there's a clonic-tonic seizure. A rather long one, I heard. So they bring even MORE useless people: paramedics. Unless you have phenobarb on you there isn't a damn thing that can be done about my seizures except waiting them out. I wake up nonverbal and with a hangover, sign "what the hell??" to my friend, who verbally informs me that I had a seizure. My hands say "no shit". So there's me signing her verbal plus sign for 5 minutes or so and the paramedic asks if I'm deaf. Very shortly after reading both of my medicalerts, neither of which mentions deafness. No, numbnuts, I'm postictal. This is why I am not allowed to type at people immediately after a seizure. They make me sign a thing that says I refuse treatment (what are they going to do? Look at me and listen to accounts and say "yep, that was a seizure"? I mean really...) and they go away. After asking 10 times variants of was I sure, was I allowed to make my own medical decisions, et cetera.
Then shows up curly headed managerial woman, as my friend and I are watching gymnastics videos and I'm typing some very rude things. "well there's 9 AM through here, and 9:30 through here, and you'd be home by 4". Gee thanks. It's 9:15. She doesn't talk to me at all, just to my friend. Autistic and epileptic=not really there, clearly. She makes demeaning comments on my ability to self administer meds (something I've done since I've been on them) and my ability to travel independantly-which I have done for 5 or 6 years now. NOT too impressed. This is when I suggest the disability training, since clearly the concept of an invisible disability is currently beyond the comprehension of their desk staff-typed exactly that way, mocking her for thinking I'm stupid. Big words. More than 2 syllables.
"But we DID disability training".
If I'd been in a chair they'd have been falling over each other to get me to my plane on time. If I had crutches, a walker, a cane, whatever. And they'd have tolerated a lot more than an airport shaking "don't tell me what to do!", were the difference obvious. But epilepsy and autism are invisible and SCARY, and make me a danger to myself or others somehow, and frighten them. So it's 'oh god, get rid of the autistic person and talk to the normal (ha. she's also autistic) friend'.
So, my response to the claim of training remains the same:
"My ass."
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by ljbouchard Friday, October 20 @ 12:37:59 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) http://webpages.charter.net/louisjbouchard | | Now that you are home and have calmed down, have you considered writing a letter to the CEO of the airline telling them about what happened to you, why it happened, and what the company can do to assist you in the future? Companies like to know when a customer is unhappy provided the customer can inform them in a rational way.
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by octavian Friday, October 20 @ 15:46:17 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | while it's not explicitly stated, the bit about the 'traffic (being) TERRIBLE' suggests that you might not have arrived at the airport more than an hour prior to your flight. moreover, that one has a disability does in no way oblige [i]anyone[/i] to ensure that you get home at a certain time because your ride cannot drive in the dark. were you in a wheelchair, i don't believe it would have made a damn bit of difference.
mind you, i'm also epileptic and autistic [i]and[/i] i travel with my service dog. i've encountered a lot of hassle in airports because i'm not 'visibly disabled' which really sucks, but at the same time, i don't expect 'royal treatment' from anyone simply because i'm disabled. i've also had lots of seizures in public places: the meds come, i too am aphasiac post-ictal so there's a lot of communication obstacles, but eventually i sign the release form and everyone leaves me alone - how on earth is anyone supposed to know that a seizing person does not necessarily need medical treatment? sometimes, they do. basically 'shit happens' and people miss their flights - both disabled people and non-disabled people - and the staff do what they can to ensure that a person gets to his/her destination. being disabled does certainly afford one certain privileges (i always get the bulkhead seat because of my dog), but it in no way entitles one to such 'special treatment' that their needs are always, invariably met before anyone else.
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by beentheredonethat Saturday, October 21 @ 11:15:40 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | Great. Just love the airlines. Had much the same experience on way from New Jersey to California, though nothing like this. Love this piece, everyone who works with the public anywhere ought to read this.
Btdt |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by SteelMaiden Saturday, October 21 @ 11:54:02 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) http://www.fictionpress.com/~antimattermatters | | That is shocking - I cannot believe that disability training can be so useless! I've never had something as serious as you, but when I asked for special dietary requirements (I refuse to eat certain foods due to my AS), they accepted and made allowances. I am shocked and appauled of their mistreatment of you.
I hope that you got home at the right time in the end. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by one1ai Sunday, October 22 @ 05:33:19 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | I slept at an airport for about 8 hours in order to catch the next plane, but I knew beforehand that I would have to wait 8 hours.. (I also slept at some empty chairs at an airport terminal) |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by ljbouchard Sunday, October 22 @ 13:37:13 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) http://webpages.charter.net/louisjbouchard | | I remember getting stuck at O'Hare Airport for 8 hours once because of a missed connection due to T-Storms. The airline then overbooked the next flight and asked me if I was willing to be bumped. I turned to the person and said "I you bump me, then you are getting me a rental car because at that point, it will have taken you as long to fly me from Newburgh NY to Rochester MN as it would have taken me to drive." Needless to say, I was not bumped :) |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by violet_yoshi Friday, November 10 @ 17:57:04 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I would've told the managerial woman, "Obviously your disability training did nothing. Stop whining about how you did it, like a child accused of not doing their homework. Clearly they only care to train you about how to handle VISABLE disabilities, not deal with people who have NON-VISABLE disabilities.
That's right, some people are disabled but don't look disabled. I know how scary that is, and how it makes you want to run to mommy. It's a fact of life, and unless you want a lawsuit, you're going to have to learn to deal with it. I am not a child, and you will not treat me as such. I am a person upset for missing my flight, because of YOUR inability to DO YOUR JOB!"
I bet if that happened, I'd be on an episode of Airline. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Enigmatic_Oddity Monday, November 13 @ 12:03:44 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Although I sympathise with your situation, I don't think you will get very far with such overt contempt and hostility. Clearly whatever training they have received has been inadequate, but that is not their fault and to have you coming in and mocking them for that is not going to help anybody.
Try dropping the attitude and the air of superiority as well. You have some interesting views but nobody will listen to them if you appear to all the world as a petulant child. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Wind_Drinker Wednesday, November 22 @ 17:52:58 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I've faced similar experiences in the past myself.
Writing a letter to a CEO often does little to nothing nor does contacting a State Attorney General.
I've found that most of the rest of the world cannot/will not respond to simple straight forward communication. Instead, I've taken to carrying a police baton with me and beating the crap out of whatever or whoever is not responding appropriately. This may seem drastic and perhaps not feasible for you but it's what works for me.
I've been threatened with arrest a few times and have even had "security" called but alas, I always end up getting full cooperation in the end. It's amazing if you shock the hell out of a NT they usually become very accommodating.
Good luck. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Xuincherguixe Tuesday, December 05 @ 04:02:48 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Nah, I'm pretty sure that if one was in a wheel chair that they would have still been inept about everything.
Though they would certainly claim that they were bending over backwards.
Airports are a nightmare for a lot of people. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by ahayes Friday, January 12 @ 14:49:54 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | It makes ME want to write an angry letter to them. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Sappho Friday, January 26 @ 13:49:33 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.HealingGrove.com | | Airlines are terrible to everyone with disabilities. They routinely mistreat blind people and people with wheelchairs. Security always, always, pulled my blind, female friend out of line for a "random search." Imagine being blind and having someone grope your chest in public. The guides for the blind provided by the airport routinely abandoned my friend in the airport while they went on break, or just took off without a word. The noise of airports is disorienting to blind people, so she'd be stuck. Sometimes they would just lead her the wrong way, and she'd miss her flight.
Security ordered another friend out of her wheelchair so they could search it--hello, she's paralyzed! My friend was practically in tears, so after awhile the guard said she would have to feel under her. My friend said," okay, but I'm incontinent.!" That ended that! Then getting on and off the plane in the tiny aisle chair, when they won't allow one's professional attendant to help--they provide someone with no real training, usually an elderly, tiny person who doesn't know how to do transfers. It takes at least two strong, able bodied people to transfer my friend without a Hoyer lift. Her attendant had to recruit and train them from the flight staff. (Of course they talked to the attendant, not the person in the chair.) When my friend swore from the pain of being mishandled, the flight attendant threatened to have her arrested, as if she was a danger. The woman is totally helpless from MS and she's a danger? How about, she sues for the torn rotator cuff?
Needless to say, both women eventually stopped flying. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Goldenheart Monday, November 19 @ 16:05:07 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://goldenpaw19.proboards46.com/index.cgi | | Given that I have flown on many airplanes, I completely understand. I had no problem with flying until six years ago. (Remember what happened six years ago?) Ever since September 11, security has trumped all in the airplane business. I wish things weren't constantly ignored, but that's just the way it is. Grr. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Teln Tuesday, October 23 @ 00:26:02 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Somehow, that is funny and scary at the same time. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by lifetimelearner Monday, February 12 @ 15:23:02 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Yes, it does sound like it was a very stressful experience for you. I know a lot about Aspergers, but I don't know a lot about epilepsy other than one of my nieces has it, but it sounds like your stress trigured the seizure.
What concerns me as well is that you will consistently be let down and the cumulative stress makes for unhappiness and damage to your body. Over time you can damage your heart and develop high blood pressure with the extra cortisol from the anger and frustration not to mention that you are going to feel miserable a lot.
Where am I going with this? While I love John Mayer, unlike his song entitled "Waiting for the World to Change", you can write letters to educate people about your experiences and Aspergers Syndrome etc. and you should help to change the world. Unless you take action, nothing will improve and every person has power to make a difference.
If you take that action when you are out of the stressful situation and write thoughtfully with a constructive critique, you stand a much higher chance of someone having an open mind to listen and learn and make things better without becoming defensive.
Lastly, my experience is that it is part of the wiring of the Aspergers mind to more often tend to feel frustrated and angry but it doesn't have to stay that way. You can take control and find ways to look at the situation differently so that you feel calmer. Biofeedback has been helpful. There are some excellent home computer software programs out there like the Search for the Wild Divine that are fun and useful. Medication can be a helpful possibility for some people as well but it's a personal decision.
In addition, it can be hard to see another person's perspective, but you may find less frustration in the world if you look at like we are all here on a different journey and we are all at different points on the path. Some people are lucky to be more enlightened than others and some haven't gotten to that place where we think they should be yet. It's just a fact of life and if you can just recognize it without passing judgement, you'll be less frustrated with them I think.
If you come upon a person who just doesn't get it...recognize it as an opportunity to help them on their journey to grow as a person...not as a huge inconvenience. They still may not get it, but you have helped them along. Treat others kindly as you would like them to treat you. They too may have hidden disabilities and life experiences that may hinder their understanding.
If this is not helpful, please just disregard. I'm just throwing ideas out there because I can feel your pain and want to help.
Take care. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by IHateEveryone Thursday, February 22 @ 13:58:26 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Well, what did you expect them to do? Conjure a plane just for you out of the earth?
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by b72s2JFK Tuesday, February 27 @ 08:59:43 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.gay.com/b72s2cvg | | Im an airline flight attendant, and this customer service fiasco is the latest evidence of poor training or lack of common sense. It's an EPIDEMIC problem in almost every customer service field, not only the airlines. Its embarrassing to admit how the airline industry has gotten way worse in how problems are being dealt with. Sorry de-regulation is NOT the answer. Disability training is only like a several hour course, and still fall significantly short in capably handling situations like what happened with you at BOS airport. And youre right CSA in the northeast regions tend to gravitate toward not being helpful. There are some very few and wonderful exceptions. As an airline employeee who have to do alot of non rev travel for Cobus. I try to hand pick the agents I like to deal with and stick to those individuals only.
Might work for you if you plan to travel alot in the future. Works great for me almost every time. For example, when having to deal with the incompetent dolts in crew scheduling (thank god for a great lady named B., she knows her stuff and had kept me out of trouble on more than one ocassion)
Everyone makes mistakes, but the problem I see typical in airline management vs. customers is none of the management wants to admit that they geniunely fucked up then try to lie on top of it.
No one wants to take ownership of the problem.
Granted, US/HP may not had the options you like to have to get home to HEL (MO), but they did a lousy job in informing you and outlining options. There is an expression I use, "theres doing your job but you dont have to be an arrogant ass about it. "(I make that point well knowen to the law enforcement officials when I sometimes catch them "copping" an attitude toward me for no reason)
Customer service in the US sucks and its an epidemic that is permeating worldwide. Hard to get good customer service when on most occasions when the companies (like the airlines) are subbing work to third party contractors and only being paid less than $7-$10 an hour. There is no motivation for agents to think with common sense and to take responsibility for a problem when it happens. The viscous cycle continues in perpetuity.
Having AS only magnifies the problems and increases the likelihood of running afoul of arrogance and incompentency. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Anie Thursday, April 12 @ 20:05:05 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.theseventhstarprojects.com/portfolio.html | | Which is why I have a cane. People can't see the autism, but they can see the cane. I started using one to navigate crowds and malls where there was too much movement but noticed it gave the added advantage that people would get out of my way if they saw it. I also have a bad back.;-p
And you can use it to poke people that are far away.;-) |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by newaspie Saturday, April 14 @ 11:13:22 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.ifreelance.com/pro/22911 | | US Airways are terrible. I had horrible, horrible experiences with them always due to CUSTOMER SERVICE. They were unprofessional, rude, unhelpful, and very inconsistant and this is at three different airports at different desks and stations-all same types of problems and customer treatment. I had to stay overnight in a strange city when in reality I shouldn't have had to (too long a story) and was assured I wouldn't have and I'd make my flight. Then I had to pay for my own hotel (too afraid to sleep at airport alone) for four hours and return to the airport. Told they would only pay for hotel if plane was late for technical difficulties but when asked why plane was late, the answer I received was "i don't know" -still made me pay for the hotel. Did not give me meal vouchers. Later found other people from same flight that DID have their hotel paid for and others who received meal vouchers. I could ask four different employees the same question regarding policy and get four different answers as to why I could not be helped only to find others getting treatment I was denied as they "don't do that". I began asking everyone (strangers and those I know) about airlines and airline service and have had many, many people say US Airways are the worst with customer service, late flights, missed connections, etc. Each time I flew them and checked the flight lists, anywhere from a third to half the flights were delayed, many of them for many, many hours. Many business people I've met refuse to fly them and just about everyone I asked at the airport said almost everytime they fly them they'd had a missed connection (ie. 3 out of 5 times, 5 out of 6, etc). A few said they'd already decided never to fly them again but were enticed back by with extra free points and flyer miles only to have delays and missed connections again complete with the same rude and crappy service.
They are getting a certified letter from me with every detail and I'm also telling everyone I know not to fly US Airways.
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by greenreen Monday, April 16 @ 17:40:37 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Would not make a bit of difference if you were mobility impaired and had made arrangements in advance.
US Air did not have someone meet me at the gate for a 43 gate plane transfer. Due to the lateness of the first flight there was only 20 minutes to make the connection and not a soul at the desk when I disembarked.
Good thing my 7 yo aspy was strong and willing to push my walker the length of the airport!
Have only flown for business since. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by dhand59 Sunday, May 13 @ 19:57:27 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | I love your story and I really love your writing style. You are right that others can be so insensitive. I just try to remain calm in those situations, but sometimes it's just too frustrating. I'm sorry they stressed you out to the point of seizure. But hopefully they learned some kind of lesson.. and yes you should complain to their executives for the treatment you received! |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by RachelLugiagirl Wednesday, May 16 @ 14:32:18 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | ver y familiar attitude of travel staff and people in general |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by RachelLugiagirl Tuesday, June 05 @ 16:14:03 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Yesterday we were travelling with a friend in a wheelchair who had booked on a certain train with us as assistants 11 days beforehand.The Assistance came (admittedly he did not come to the cafe on the station where we were, clearly in view of the ticket office when we reminded them,and we had to get to the right platform on our own-good thing we've done it before and know the lifts!) and was very good, talking to my friend Ruth directly and getting the right ramp(last time the ramp did not fit the carriage and we had to get out through another door-the right ramp was locked up. Anyway the train came on time but get this-it did not have a carriage on it suitable for wheelchairs! They tried to encourage her to get out of the wheelchair but she lost 60% of her mobility and hurt her back when dropped recently when someone tried to lift her up stairs. She burst into tears and the train sailed out leaving us struck dumb. The trains to her hometown only go every hour and she told her father on the phone she'd probably be half an hour later as that was the next train they said was heading in that direction .Luckily they managed to get it to stop at the station, it normally wouldn't as it was a fast train. I felt invisible today as they allowed for cheese-eating vegetarians only at the meeting and only provided steak pasties besides-the only thing i could really eat was fruit but i risked a fitby eating dairy. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by RachelLugiagirl Tuesday, June 05 @ 16:34:50 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Disability Training
These are my guidelines if anyone in the travel/service industries ever looks at this site.
1.Anyone with a mobility difficulty should go onto a plane or train first. Mobility difficulties widely recognised include:Lower Limb, back and heart weakness or lack of control, epilepsy and autism because of the travelling orientation difficulties, deafness without speech because of the communication difficulties and loss of upper limb use because of balance difficuties, and partial sight.
Check for all of these on your passenger list before the time of travel and provide the right facilities at the right time, as you have entered into a business contract to do.And be polite and helpful. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by cerasela Tuesday, September 18 @ 19:08:28 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | I am so sad that they treated you like that. The people responsible will probably get back what they did to you later in life, when they will get an autistic kid in the family and they will feel like the jack assess that they are, they will remember you and they will feel bad. Ignorance is bliss...until one day...when you get it back. I used to get so nervous with those kinds of people that I even became agressive before, but in my old age(37) I am more passive. I had police called on me with no reason also, one time was at the post office, where a "postal" worker threw a package at me and I had a tantrum, police came and "postal" looked like a moron, because I told police to look at the surveilance video records and that's when the madman cowered and appologized to me. The police is much more understanding and smart than people think, at least where I live. Let it go, the world is full of idiots. |
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Re: But we DID disability training! (Score: 1)
by Lonelybonesey Monday, October 01 @ 19:01:44 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | Bloody hell those people need a dam good telling off in my opinion!!!. u have every right to be upset its must have been infuriating when someone ignored you like that. Maby she did have disability training but it was probaly one of those basic disbility course's she got cheap. |
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D.W.A. Is the Answer in some Cases (Score: 1)
by cyberscan Wednesday, July 23 @ 17:33:57 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) http://www.autismeducationcenter.net | | I rarely fly anymore due to the poor service at airports. Instead, I commit D.W.A. (driving while autistic). There is no specific law against it, but I used to have my car searched at nearly every police license checkpoint. I now carry an "autie card" that explains non-typical behavior. It has a huge medical alert emblem on it as well. When I have contact with police, I have this card ready in case I have a problem.
There is one thing that companies and governments hate, and that is bad press. Another thing they hate is the possibility of a lawsuit (at least in Amerika) under the Americans with Disabilities Act. For the record, I refuse to fly U.S. Airways.
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