Traveling with a wheelchair is 'different for every single person and every single device'

Shayn Pulley said their wheelchair was irreparably cracked on Feb. 22 while traveling from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Philadelphia.

But Pulley, who uses they/them pronouns, said they're lucky it wasn't a completely customized device, allowing them to use a rental while they wait for a replacement.

"I consider myself very fortunate in this circumstance that I have the choice of using an off-the-shelf-style wheelchair. ... There are many people who can't even entertain the idea of using an off-the-shelf model," Pulley said. "They not only have to go through a reevaluation by a physical therapist to get a wheelchair, but it takes months to get the wheelchairs manufactured and fitted. This experience is going to be different for every single person and every single different device."

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Pulley, who said they have "multiple conditions that create a cause for me to need to use a wheelchair," was traveling to Philadelphia to see family and discovered the cracks to their wheelchair's frame only after leaving the airport.

"You think if there's going to be damage to your chair, it's going to be obvious, and unfortunately I didn't notice the damage to the chair until I got to my parents' house," Pulley said.

Pulley was frustrated because the wheelchair was designed to be stowed in the cabin, but the flight attendant said the closet onboard could not accommodate the device and Pulley did not push the issue.

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"This is where I feel like my self-advocacy faltered," Pulley said. "There's no clear script or rulebook to approaching these things."

Ultimately, they agreed to let their wheelchair be placed in the luggage compartment, and they're not sure exactly how it was damaged.

Discovering the cracks after leaving the airport made reporting the issue more complicated. Pulley had to return to Philadelphia International to begin the claims process in person.

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American Airlines eventually agreed to buy a replacement device.

"We want all of our customers to have a positive travel experience when they fly with us, including those who travel with mobility devices," Curtis Blessing, an American Airlines spokesperson, said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We extend our sincerest apologies for our customer’s recent experience, and our customer relations team is working with them directly to fully replace their mobility device."

But, Pulley said, the first replacement chair was damaged when it arrived, so they're still waiting on their new permanent device.

In the meantime, Pulley is frustrated and upset at having gone through this experience and hopes that airlines will work to do better for their disabled passengers.

"I don't have a car of my own to be a gearhead with, so I show that type of love to my mobility devices because they do so much for me," Pulley said. "I should've been ecstatic that my broken wheelchair was going to be replaced ... I wasn't because I worked so hard. I fundraised for a wheelchair. At the drop of a hat, the airline buys a new one. It makes me realize that because the dollar amount is so small to the airline, that it's not enough to motivate care or change or reform."

Pulley said airlines need to be required to be more transparent when mobility device incidents occur, and they don't think there will be any major improvements until that happens.

"I'm such a small percentage of their customer base that my suffering is worth their bottom line," Pulley said.

How common is mobility equipment damage in air travel?

According to the Department of Transportation, airlines "mishandle" on average about 1.5% of the mobility equipment they transport.

This year, USA TODAY wants to highlight what those figures mean for travelers with disabilities. We're looking to track these incidents throughout 2023 with the goal of bringing light to an all-too-common problem.

If your own mobility equipment was damaged or lost by an airline this year, please share your story with us using the form below: 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Accessibility while flying is 'different for every single person'