Flying With Impairments: Improving Airline Practices By Understanding The Experiences Of People With Disabilities

Darcy, SA

Flying With Impairments: Improving Airline Practices By Understanding The Experiences Of People With Disabilities

Darcy, SA

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Publisher:: The Travel and Tourism Research Association
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: Beating the Odds with Tourism Research!, 2007, pp. 61 - 70
Issue Date:: 2007-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Darcy, SA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5394-2566	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Moisey Neil, R	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Norman William, C	en_US
dc.date	2007-06-17	en_US
dc.date.issued	2007-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Beating the Odds with Tourism Research!, 2007, pp. 61 - 70	en_US
dc.identifier.isbn	978-0-9768068-2-0	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/7557
dc.description.abstract	This paper presents an understanding of the air travel experiences of people with disabilities and draws implications for improving airline management practices. The theoretical foundation for the paper is based on applying a social approach to disability to the airline sector. The research design used a modified grounded and phenomenological qualitative approach that sought to understand the experiences of people with disabilities in their own words. These experiences were contrasted to the policies, procedures and operations of the three major Australian domestic airlines. The methods used to understand the experiences involved semi-structured, in-depth interviews that were part of a larger study into the tourism experiences of people with disabilities. Fifteen in-depth interviews were undertaken together with an analysis of the qualitative responses to a broader quantitative study on the same topic. The interviews were supplemented with complaint cases taken against airlines through the Australian Disability Discrimination Act, 1992. What emerged as the âessence of experienceâ was that airline procedures created a newly disembodied experience that transformed a person's impairment into socially constructed disability. The social construction was a product of international air regulations, airline procedures, pressures brought about by the introduction of low-cost airlines into Australia and a new wave of occupational health and safety considerations. The resultant experience for many was one of heightened anxiety, helplessness and, in too many cases, humiliation.	en_US
dc.publisher	The Travel and Tourism Research Association	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Beating the Odds with Tourism Research!	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	TTRA Annual Conference	en_US
dc.title	Flying With Impairments: Improving Airline Practices By Understanding The Experiences Of People With Disabilities	en_US
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.location	USA	en_US
utslib.location.activity	Las Vegas, Nevada	en_US
utslib.for	150603 Tourism Management	en_US
utslib.for	150404 Sport and Leisure Management	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
dc.location.activity	Las Vegas, Nevada	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.consider-herdc	true	en_US
pubs.place-of-publication	USA	en_US
pubs.start-date	2007-06-17	en_US

Abstract:

This paper presents an understanding of the air travel experiences of people with disabilities and draws implications for improving airline management practices. The theoretical foundation for the paper is based on applying a social approach to disability to the airline sector. The research design used a modified grounded and phenomenological qualitative approach that sought to understand the experiences of people with disabilities in their own words. These experiences were contrasted to the policies, procedures and operations of the three major Australian domestic airlines. The methods used to understand the experiences involved semi-structured, in-depth interviews that were part of a larger study into the tourism experiences of people with disabilities. Fifteen in-depth interviews were undertaken together with an analysis of the qualitative responses to a broader quantitative study on the same topic. The interviews were supplemented with complaint cases taken against airlines through the Australian Disability Discrimination Act, 1992. What emerged as the âessence of experienceâ was that airline procedures created a newly disembodied experience that transformed a person's impairment into socially constructed disability. The social construction was a product of international air regulations, airline procedures, pressures brought about by the introduction of low-cost airlines into Australia and a new wave of occupational health and safety considerations. The resultant experience for many was one of heightened anxiety, helplessness and, in too many cases, humiliation.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/7557