People with Disabilities in Ireland
4th Floor Jervis House
Jervis Street
Dublin 1
Telephone: 01 87 21 74 4
Fax: 01 87 21 77 1
Email: info@pwdi.ie
People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI), the national organisation representing all people with disabilities today called on the European Commission to investigate Ryanair for ejecting nine blind and partially-sighted passengers from a jet minutes before take-off.
"This is a human rights issue," said Nigel Brander, national Chairman of PwDI who was last weekend elected President of FIMITIC (International Federation of Persons with Physical Disability) .
"What is Ryanair's definition of disability," he asked. "Is an elderly person using a walking stick or a person holding a baby considered to be disabled?
"Airline safety measures must take account of the population as a whole. The right of a person with a disability to travel should not be dependent upon who else turns up for a flight.
"Ryanair's stance is disgusting. The company must not be allowed to discriminate in such a manner against people with disabilities. Here we have an Irish company, the behaviour of which would appear to breach the Equal Status Act 2000, had it happened in Ireland.
"PwDI calls on the European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot to immediately launch an investigation into the incident at Stansted. We will be writing to the Commissioner on the issue," he said.
Further information:
Nigel Brander 086-8180951
Mairead Foley 086-2556764
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