The TSA (Transportation and Security Administration) claims on its official blog that a wounded Marine was not asked to remove his prosthetic legs and forced to stand from his wheelchair as the Wasington Times first reported.
What seems clear is the TSA’s inability to acknowledge how humiliating it is for all travelers with disabilities to undergo screenings–I’ve been asked to hand over my guide dog, have been pushed, prodded, left to grope for my possessions, have been summarily and rudely ordered about, and generally demeaned for years. I’ve had good experiences of course, but what’s indisputable is how much my navigation of security checkpoints is influenced by the quality of the staff on duty at any given moment. Travelers with disabilities receive conditional or chance receptions at airports.
One may say the same for all travelers–stories of parents with small children who are unduly frightened or traumatized are legion. There’s no doubt the TSA has ongoing problems both of judgment and public relations.
As bad as the disability experience is at airports I will say to any and all who wish to privatize the TSA (for there’s always a call for this) that the old days of on the cheap security companies meant even worse treatment. I remember non English speaking agents dressed in maroon jump suits, yelling at me because I had a dog.
The TSA says the wounded marine “chose” to stand as if that settles the matter. But in my experience people don’t spontaneously make bad and painful choices. The TSA has some serious work to do in terms of its cultural awareness of disabilities.
Posted with Blogsy
Planet of the Blind 