Passengers with disabilities in the Brazilian air transport: different actors and similar perspectives

Silva, Talita Naiara Rossi da; Guarda, Jerusa Barbosa de Souza; Silva, Larissa Lunardon Gomes da; Figueiredo, Julia Pierre; Menegon, Nilton Luiz

doi:10.1590/0104-530X1681-15

Talita Naiara Rossi da Silva

Departamento de Terapia Ocupacional – DTO, Escola de Educação Física, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional – EEFFTO, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, e-mail: talitanrossi@gmail.com

Jerusa Barbosa de Souza Guarda

Departamento de Engenharia de Produção – DEP, Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar, Rodovia Washington Luís, SP-310, Km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil, e-mail: jerusaguarda@gmail.com; larissalunardon@gmail.com; juliapierre1@live.com; menegon@dep.ufscar.br

Larissa Lunardon Gomes da Silva

Departamento de Engenharia de Produção – DEP, Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar, Rodovia Washington Luís, SP-310, Km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil, e-mail: jerusaguarda@gmail.com; larissalunardon@gmail.com; juliapierre1@live.com; menegon@dep.ufscar.br

Julia Pierre Figueiredo

Departamento de Engenharia de Produção – DEP, Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar, Rodovia Washington Luís, SP-310, Km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil, e-mail: jerusaguarda@gmail.com; larissalunardon@gmail.com; juliapierre1@live.com; menegon@dep.ufscar.br

Nilton Luiz Menegon

Departamento de Engenharia de Produção – DEP, Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar, Rodovia Washington Luís, SP-310, Km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil, e-mail: jerusaguarda@gmail.com; larissalunardon@gmail.com; juliapierre1@live.com; menegon@dep.ufscar.br

PARTICIPANTS	RESPONDENTS	DESCRIPTION
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R1; R2	Associations that provide services to people with disabilities; located in the city of São Paulo.
	R3	Rehabilitation center at a hospital Complex; located in the city of São Paulo.
	R4; R5	Associations that provide services to people with visual disabilities; located in the city of São Paulo.
	R6	Association that provides services to people with deafblindness; located in the city of São Paulo.
	R7	Association that provides services to people with intellectual disability; located in the city of São Paulo.
	R8	Association that provides services to people with dwarfism; located in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
	R9	Institute that provides services and assistance concerning the rights of people with disabilities; located in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R10	National aviation regulatory agency.
	R11	National agency that coordinates and supervises activities carried out in the cities.
	R12	National agency that coordinates and supervises tourism activities.
	R13	National agency that coordinates and supervises activities in the transport sector.
	R14	National secretariat that defends and protects the rights of people with disabilities.
	R15	State secretariat that defends and protects the rights of people with disabilities.
	R16	Agency that represents the Brazilian paralympic movement.
USERS (Passengers with disabilities)	R17	36 year-old male with physical disability – paraplegia – caused by poliomyelitis; a track and field athlete and basketball player, who uses a wheelchair and drives an adapted automobile; flies frequently, 2-3 trips per month, for work purposes.
USERS (Passengers with disabilities)	R18	31 year-old female with physical disability – hemiplegia – resulting from cerebral palsy during pregnancy; an athlete whose events are javelin throw and shot-put; flies periodically, more than 5 times per year, for work purposes (competitions, sports events, and meetings).
USERS (Passengers with disabilities)	R19	54 year-old male with physical disability – paraplegia – who uses a wheelchair; a sociologist, who works at an institute that provides services and assistance concerning the rights of people with disabilities; flies quite often, more than 100 times per year, for work purposes.
USERS (Passengers with disabilities)	R20	48 year-old female with physical disability – dwarfism (achondroplasia), who is a lawyer and the president of an association that provides services to people with dwarfism; flies periodically, more than 5 times per year, for work purposes (lectures, conferences, and fairs).

PARTICIPANTS		Main difficulties of people with disabilities in AIRPORTS
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R4	People with visual disabilities need high quality announcements in terms of sound quality, speech intelligibility, and information content.
	R5	Loud background sounds and noise in the terminals; disorganized system of communication with hissing, white noise, and muffled sound. The design of the facilities and furniture are not adequate for the use or reach of people with disability.
	R6	Lack of information in the restrooms.
	R8	Long distances from one location to another inside the airports.
	R9	Lack accessibility in the terminals.
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R11	Lack of accessible check-in counters.
	R14	In addition to the difficulties of passengers in wheelchairs, there are difficulties related to airport and aircraft signage and information.
	R15	Auditory signage is the same as other types of signage. Lack of humanized accessibility in the air transport.
USERS	R17	Lack of accessible check-in counters.
	R18	Lack of awareness of other passengers (some people question the existence of disability in priority lines).
	R19	Lack of flight information display boards in lounges for passengers requiring special assistance.
	R20	Lack of accessible check-in counters.

PARTICIPANTS		Main difficulties of people with disabilities on AIRCRAFTS
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R1	Incompatibility of wheelchair dimensions with the space inside the cabin. Limited space for moving around on the aircraft or for seat-to-wheelchair transfers. Limited space inside the cabin lavatory. There is not enough space to storage wheelchairs in the cabin.
	R2	During the flight, physically disabled people need a special area, their own space, an adapted wheelchair, and space for their travelling companion.
	R4	People with visual impairment need high quality on-board announcements in terms of sound quality, speech intelligibility, and information content. They have difficulty to call a flight attendant and arrive at their seat.
	R6	Lack of information in the lavatory. There is need to enhance the quality of TV screen of the in-flight entertainment systems. Lack of Braille signage in the cabin, as well as large print signs for ease of reading.
	R8	The main difficulties are moving around and reaching things.
	R9	Dealing with prejudice and lack of accessibility and attentive people.
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R14	Besides the obvious difficulties encountered by wheelchair passengers, there are difficulties related to the availability of information and signage at airports and inside aircrafts.
	R15	Moving around in the cabin is very complicated, including the access to the lavatory, which does not have standard dimensions. Auditory signage is the same as other types of signage.
	R16	Limited space makes it difficult to move around in the cabin with a wheelchair. The first and last seats are reserved for passengers with disabilities. It is almost impossible to transfer to and from a wheelchair in the last seats and to move down the aisle to the back of the aircraft. The seatbelt does not ensure safety during take-off and landing. The 3-point seatbelt would be safer. Access to the lavatory is complicated. International flights have on-board wheelchairs, enabling passengers to use the lavatory since there is more space. In domestic flights, the access to the lavatory is impossible since it is tight and non-accessible. Some people prefer the window seat due to more privacy, but this is not always possible. In the first rows, the problem is the fixed armrest. In the last rows, the problem is the difficulty to get there. There are no designated priority storage areas for the assistive devices; thus, they have to be stowed in the overhead storage compartment, making their access difficult, and they can be broken.
USERS	R17	Seats, doors, and aisles in the cabin: everything is narrow and has very limited space. Going the cabin lavatory. Limited space inside the lavatory. Lack of miscellaneous storage for personal belongings in the lavatory. Lack of footrests in the cabin seats.
	R19	Fixed footrests and armrests. Small seats and limited legroom. Narrow aisles, which do not allow full wheelchair accessibility. The on-board wheelchairs are extremely uncomfortable, tight, small, and have a hard seat cushion; they seem like a “wood stool”. Impossibility to use the cabin lavatory.
	R20	Lack of footrests in the cabin seats.

PARTICIPANTS		Main difficulties of people with disabilities in terms of SERVICE AND OPERATIONS
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R2	The main perceived barriers are attitudinal discrimination, difficulty in dealing with people, and the lack of training.
	R3	The main difficulty is the lack of information, for example, in relation to fare discounts to a disabled passenger traveling companion.
	R5	Unprepared airport staff is the main difficulty. It is important to have people helping in this type of place to provide proper assistance to passengers with disabilities.
	R6	Deafblind people need someone to guide them, and they usually seek volunteers.
	R7	Attitudinal barriers are three times more likely to be encountered than the architectural barriers. Hence the importance of proper training.
	R9	Dealing with prejudice, lack of accessibility, and lack of attentive people.
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R10	Passengers with disabilities need to be seated close to the aircraft door and within close proximity to a lavatory. Unprepared staff unable to identify the individual needs and provide adequate assistance to passengers.
	R11	The main deficiency is in the service sector: there are no sign-language interpreters Lack of staff training. Lack of supervision; the employees responsible for supervising are not always available and have to be found.
	R13	Poor services due to inadequate training.
	R15	Passengers fear that their wheelchair might get damaged. Untrained staff involved in wheelchair assistance. Ticket purchase process is inaccessible, and people are unaware of the services offered. Priority seats are sold for non-disabled passengers because they have more legroom.
	R16	Priority front row seats are sold at a higher price for offering more comfort, which can be embarrassing during boarding because often passengers refuse to leave their seat because they it was purchased in advance, it was more expensive, or simple because of personal superstitions. When there is a large group of disabled athletes on the same flight, no company is prepared to provide proper services. Some companies do not offer priority boarding. Damage to assistive devices, including wheelchairs. Airlines pay compensation for damaged devices, but it is a lengthy process. Some flight attendants help blind passengers navigating through the cabin, which is of great help; others just give them Braille flight instructions.
USERS	R17	Damage to personal assistive devices.
USERS	R19	Unprepared airport and airline staff. Embarrassment while going through security. Separation from their personal assistive device, such as a wheelchair, which causes uncertainty as to whether their wheelchair might get lost or damaged. First-row seats are not always reserved for passengers entitled to priority services. Not being able to use their personal wheelchair during disembarking.

PARTICIPANTS	Main difficulties of people with disabilities during BOARDING AND DISEMBARKING
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R10	Inadequate infrastructure for boarding and disembarking, such as lack of boarding bridges thus requiring the use of lifting equipment, for example, the ambulift. Number of ambulifts available does not meet the demand of airports.
	R11	Sometimes, the airlines that do not have ambulifts rent this equipment from other airlines at the airport, but this may not be enough in face of increased demands.
	R13	Lack of adequate equipment for boarding and disembarking.
	R15	Deficient infrastructure for boarding and disembarking.
	R16	Not all airlines have ambulifts. Some use a wheelchair with caterpillar tracks, which is not good because it is too wide making the transfer to the cabin seat difficult. Many times, the passenger has to be carried to be transferred to the cabin seat, which is not good. Hearing impaired passengers have inability to hear or understand boarding or gate change announcements made using a microphone, and therefore they often miss their flights. Visually-impaired passengers always need to travel with a companion or depend on assistance.
USERS	R18	Delays, especially during disembarking.
USERS	R19	The need to be carried to arrive at their seat. Poorly maintained or faulty equipment make employees responsible for the procedures, who help because they want and not because they have to do it; this kind of service or assistance is not their job. Not being able to use their personal wheelchair during disembarking. Be the last to disembark.

PARTICIPANTS		Trends related to people with disabilities and air travel
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R2	Change the social status of people with disabilities resulting from the Disability Employment Quotas and increased participation of these people in the labor market, improving their consumption behavior and ability to travel.
	R4	There is a group of researchers working together to establish specific technical standards. Discussions have been held, and laws and policies have been developed to increase global awareness that social inclusion should also encompass other groups besides people with disabilities.
	R5	There has been a growing concern about people with disabilities.
	R6	There have been slow but steady improvements in the transport in general due to new laws and regulations.
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R10	Research, including academic research, has an important role to support regulations. International civil aviation agencies have research centers and have created many partnerships with universities to carry out studies to support the regulations in order to establish higher safety standards without hindering airline operations. This agency benefits from these international studies, but has limited active participation in these studies; this situation needs improvement.
	R11	Accessibility issues have become increasingly evident in our society. Several accessibility actions are being developed by control agencies, and many large investments have been made in this area. However, there is still no federal accessibility policy although there is a set of standards. Accordingly, this agency wants to encourage a cultural change in public management.
	R12	The number of elderly people and disabled people is increasing, and accessible tourism programs can boost the timid demand for air travel among people with disabilities.
	R14	There is a strong trend towards improvement in social inclusion, including the education areas, which may lead to increased income thus contributing to the increased participation of people with disabilities in tourism and leisure activities.
	R16	The Federal Government has encouraged the opening of more domestic airports. However, considering greater passenger transport volumes does not mean considering people with disabilities.

PARTICIPANTS		Suggestions for the present study and for air transport
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R1	Further research including airports in addition to aircrafts.
	R2	The research should also address regulations and policies, characterize the needs per type of disability, and develop a classification system.
	E3	Develop a “pilot aircraft” to introduce new accessibility ideas.
	R4	Create a new job position in the airline for monitoring the assistance provided for people with disabilities, provide audio description of aircraft information and signage, and create a designated priority space in the cabin for passengers who need assistance.
	R5	During air travel, there should be baggage assistance, more space for moving around, and guide dogs should be allowed to travel with the passenger in the cabin. There should be assistance to take disabled passengers to the lavatory, which should meet the accessibility standards for item location. Provide training for airline employees on how to deal with passengers with disabilities.
	R7	People should know the constitution laws. They do not need to be changed but must be applied.
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R8		People should attend Assistive Technology and Inclusion fairs.
ASSOCIATIONS AND CENTERS OF REFERENCE IN REHABILITATION	R9		People should continue establishing direct contact with people with disabilities, without intermediaries. Apply questionnaires to employees who deal with passengers on the flight to understand the day-to-day dynamics of air travel. Try to make contact with the athlete delegations; their staff can provide assistance with certain needs that the crew is not aware of.
PUBLIC AGENCIES	R17		More comfortable seats: better recline angle, wider, and adjustable footrest. Employee training to improve passenger assistance, for example, seat-to-wheelchair transfers.
	R18		The safety demonstration should be performed individually, for example, for visually impaired passengers.
	R20		Aircraft seats with adjustable recline and leg and footrest.

Brasil

Brasil

Passengers with disabilities in the Brazilian air transport: different actors and similar perspectives

Abstract