Does being disabled mean that I am not worthy of dignity? An IndiGo manager recently barred a child with disability from boarding a flight at the Ranchi airport. The IndiGo staff declared that the child would not be allowed to take the flight because he was a risk to other passengers. “Unless he displayed 'normal' behaviour, he could not be travel-worthy. The Indigo manager also said something on lines of 'behaviours such as this, and that of drunk passengers, deems them unfit to travel.', as reported by one of the witnesses. 

As someone who has a partial hearing disability, I can imagine the humiliation that the child and his parents have gone through. As a new mother too, I would hate for my child or any child to go through such a horrific experience. This has to change. Sign this petition now because no one deserves this. 

I am glad that this issue has been raised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), IndiGo CEO, and even the Aviation Minister which led to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) forming a team to enquire about the case. I am happy to see that IndiGo CEO Mr Dutta has also offered to buy an electric wheelchair for the child. But it’s not enough. There needs to be more done. Please SIGN my petition to ask IndiGo to conduct the mandatory bi-monthly training and Internal Audit immediately to Ensure All Staff Learn from the Ranchi case and Treat the Differently-Abled with Dignity. This is already mentioned in the government rules laid out by the Civil Aviation Ministry in 2021. As per that, “a bi-monthly awareness session is to be carried out with the staff in which customer feedback and service improvement is shared for their specific stations, so that overall service can be improved.”

The Ranchi incident proves that airlines need to regularly sensitize staff which is why I need support in asking the Ministry of Aviation to ensure all the guidelines are being followed as per the Accessibility Standards and Provision of facilities for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in Civil Aviation Sector by IndiGo and all the other airlines in consultation with National Platform for the Rights of the Diabled (NPRD) and National Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (NCRPD). I believe such a step will prove to be effective making training efficient for all the staff. 

Sign this petition and let’s make sure airline staff are well trained to supervise such situations as per the need of the customer and put an end to this discriminatory approach.

Let us fly with dignity. Sign and share widely.

#DignityforDisability