Disability Rights, and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast

Airline Accessibility: How Maayan Ziv Turned a Mangled Wheelchair Into Real Change

Disability Rights, and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast

Show Notes

This episode of Disability Rights and Wrongs highlights a powerful story of advocacy that illustrates an important reality of the work of an advocate; Golden opportunities for progress can present themselves at any time.

In this case, Maayan Ziv, a respected disability rights advocate and entrepreneur, took a cross-Atlantic flight in September 2022 with her power wheelchair stowed away in the cargo hold. Despite having taken multiple measures to keep it protected during the flight, she found it mangled and destroyed on arrival. The emotional video she posted on Instagram just after the incident went viral, stirring up a media storm that finally brought attention to an issue people with disabilities know all too well: the accessibility, or lack-there-of, Canadian airlines.

Maayan lays out the many barriers she and many others face when travelling by air and reflects on the impact of the video.

Link to David's full presentation to the standing committee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5EV5zJTDDI

Link to the AODA's brief to the House of Commons: https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aodaalliance.org%2Fwhats-new%2Fread-the-march-18-2024-aoda-alliance-brief-to-the-house-of-commons-standing-committee-on-transport-re-disability-barriers-in-air-travel-long-version%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjacobshymanski%40ami.ca%7Ca24231fd5a2948e9ba6e08de4e39649f%7C03ac09d7988d4c2c906f5de452aa8a83%7C0%7C0%7C639034205590879241%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wMlfb%2BUx1NNinh40FEKbPTllWQhldik8DeI7GgLAoao%3D&reserved=0 About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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