Samantha Bullock in New York City (Source: Instagram)
A model and business executive has claimed she was denied boarding a British Airways flight at New York’s JFK Airport because she was traveling alone while using a wheelchair.Samantha Bullock, 47, founder of Bullock Inclusion, an inclusion company for people with disabilities, said she was due to fly from New York to London when airline staff told her she would not be allowed on the plane. She later shared details of the incident on social media, calling it a case of discrimination based on disability.“I was not rejected because of a ticket issue, a safety violation, or missing documents. I was rejected because I am disabled and traveling independently,” Bullock wrote on social media on Sunday.She said the explanation staff gave her was that, because she was traveling alone, cabin crew would not be able to help her use the toilet during the flight or assist her in an emergency.“The explanation I received was shocking,” she said. “I was told that because I was traveling alone, the crew could not help me get to the toilet during the flight and they could not evacuate me in case of an emergency.”Bullock said she had traveled alone for many years, and said requiring disabled passengers to travel with a companion was an unfair financial burden.
“If people with disabilities are expected to travel with a companion, it means we have to pay for two flights instead of one,” she said.“We are charged more for the same freedom and opportunities that non-disabled travelers take for granted,” she added.After several hours at the airport, Bullock said she was eventually transferred to an American Airlines flight “without being asked,” but she claimed she faced similar questioning from staff.She has since said she is considering legal action, alleging discrimination on the basis of disability, and said she has documented evidence of what happened.“I believe this treatment may constitute disability discrimination, and I am exploring legal action to protect my rights and the rights of other travelers with disabilities,” she wrote. “I have documented and recorded everything and will continue this discussion fully and will sue them for the time and significant discrimination I have suffered.”“People with disabilities deserve the same right to travel, work and live independently as anyone else,” she added.Bullock said she attended the United Nations Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York shortly before the accident.
“I just attended the 19th COSP Conference at the United Nations in New York, where world leaders, advocates and organizations gathered to discuss and promote the rights of people with disabilities.
“They spent days talking about inclusion, accessibility, dignity and equal rights. Then I came home on British Airways and felt exactly the opposite,” she wrote.Bullock was paralyzed after a “near-fatal accident involving a firearm” at the age of fourteen. She later rebuilt her life to become a professional wheelchair tennis player and model. She represented Brazil in wheelchair tennis and won the silver medal in doubles at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
She also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympics.A British Airways spokesman said the airline was reviewing the incident.The spokesperson said: “We regret our customer’s experience and are urgently looking into what happened. We remain in direct contact with the customer while we review the circumstances.”
