Airline’s Negligence Led to Wheelchair User’s Death

Wheelchairtravel.org has posted a sad article regarding Airline’s Negligence Led to Wheelchair User’s Death.

Engracia Figueroa Photo from Hand in Hand

According to the article, disability rights advocate Engracia Figueroa, 51, died following a hospitalization that her attorneys told the Hand in Hand organization was the result of “complications from injuries she sustained when United Airlines destroyed her custom wheelchair last July.” The organization wrote, “All of us at Hand in Hand are heartbroken, shocked and enraged by Engracia’s needless death. This loss should never have happened. While we are reeling from the layers of injustice this tragedy makes visible, we are holding Engracia’s tenacity and resolve as our guidepost.”

Engracia Figueroa’s death was avoidable, because all damage done to wheelchairs by airlines is preventable. With the proper investment in the training of baggage handlers — and the purchase of necessary equipment to safely load and store mobility devices in the cargo hold — wheelchair damage can be eliminated.

For additional information regarding problems with air travel please see Air Travel Nightmare for People with Disabilities.

Thank you.