Air Travel with a Disability — 5 Min Survey

I'm a student building a platform to improve air travel for passengers with accessibility need. This is 100% anonymous, no sign-up needed, takes about 5 minutes. I'll share the results back with this community. Thank you for your time.

What is your primary disability or condition affecting travel?

Mobility / manual wheelchair

Mobility / power wheelchair or scooter

Mobility / walking difficulty, cane or crutches

Visual impairment or blindness

Hearing impairment or deafness

Cognitive or neurological disability

Chronic illness or fatigue

Other

Have you ever avoided or cancelled a flight specifically because of accessibility concerns?

A

Yes, multiple times — it significantly limits where I go

B

Yes, once or twice

C

No, but I think about it every time I book

D

No

E

(What stopped you?)

On a single journey, how many times do you have to re-explain your accessibility needs to different people? (check-in, security, gate, crew, ground staff, etc.)

1 = Once — it was handled end to end; 10 = More times than I can count

Which parts of the journey cause you the most stress or difficulty? (Please pick top 2)

Booking and communicating my needs in advance

Not knowing if my pre-arranged assistance will show up

Navigating the terminal — lifts, step-free routes, distances

Security and screening with mobility equipment

Boarding and deplaning

My wheelchair or equipment being handled or stored

Last-minute gate changes with no proactive support

Flight disruptions and rebooking

Has your wheelchair, scooter, or other mobility aid ever been damaged, lost, or significantly delayed by an airline?

A

Yes — and the impact on my life was severe (weeks without it)

B

Yes — it was resolved within a day or two

C

No, but I am anxious about it every time I fly

D

No

E

Not applicable

Before booking a flight, do you know whether your specific wheelchair or mobility device is compatible with the aircraft?

A

Yes — but I have to research it myself every time, which is exhaustingYes — but I have to research it myself every time, which is exhausting

B

Partially — I try to check but the information is hard to find

C

No — I find out at the airport and hope for the best

D

I have been told at the gate that my chair cannot be accommodated

E

Not applicable — I do not use a mobility device

When your flight is delayed or cancelled, what happens to your accessibility arrangements?

A

They carry over automatically — no issues

B

I have to re-explain everything from scratch to new staff

C

I get deprioritised — standard passengers are rebooked first

D

I have been stranded because no accessible alternative was available

E

I avoid complex itineraries specifically because of this risk

How confident are you that your pre-arranged accessibility assistance will actually be in place when you arrive at the airport?

0 = Never confident — I always expect something to go wrong; 10 = Always confident — it works reliably

If a platform stored your full accessibility profile — your needs, equipment specs, and assistance requirements — and automatically shared it with the airline, airport, and ground crew before every journey, how much would that change your experience?

0 = Nothing — the problem is staff training, not information; 10 = Transformational — this is the core problem I face every time

What is the one thing that, if it existed, would make you travel by air more confidently or more often?
(Leave as much or as little as you like — this is the most important question on the survey)