It is learnt that two airport employees had reportedly demanded Rs. 4,000 from a 62-year-old passenger with a disability for using the wheel-chair facility while travelling on a flight from Goa to Gatwick. This is a very serious matter. It must be said that such incidents do not augur well for the State which is a preferred tourist destination for travelers from across the globe. Such persons need to be given all possible assistance by the airport staffers without being charged. Hence if the passengers are cheated at the airport it could be sending a wrong picture of the State. Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates that the State should ensure non-discrimination and decent treatment of people with disabilities. Differently-abled persons require special aids and appliances for their daily functioning.To suit the special needs of differently-abled persons, special facilities such as ramps, rails and special toilets are made to address the accessibility issues pertaining to disability. There should be no repetition of such incidents at the airport or any other place for that matter.
