We demand that United Airlines and all other airlines end the damage and destruction of assistive devices and wheelchairs on flights and create an accessible process that allows individuals with disabilities to travel safely, with dignity.

Engracia Figueroa, a member of Hand in Hand, active with the Long Term Support Services for All Coalition and a Home and Community-Based Services Storytelling Fellow, passed away on Sunday due to complications from injuries she sustained when United Airlines destroyed her wheelchair last July.  

Without her wheelchair, Engracia was forced to use a manual and loaner power chair that led to the development of a pressure sore and multiple hospitalizations. When the sore became infected, she required emergency surgery. She passed away Sunday, October 31, 2021. 

On average, airlines damage or destroy 29 wheelchairs per day.

Engracia said in multiple interviews, “Mobility devices are an extension of our bodies. When they are damaged or destroyed, we become re-disabled. Until the airlines learn how to treat our devices with the care and respect they deserve, flying remains inaccessible.” 

Airlines like United must stop discriminating against people with assistive devices. They must create regulations and systems to protect these devices and ensure accessibility to people with disabilities

Join us as we honor Engracia's memory and legacy by demanding that United Airlines take responsibility to ensure that people using wheelchairs and assistive devices get the respect they deserve. 

You can read our full statement here.