Study design

Qualitative exploratory study.

Objectives

To understand the lived experiences of individuals with spinal cord injuries or disorders (SCI/D) who use wheelchairs during air travel in the United States (US), with a focus on the challenges and barriers to accessing this form of transportation.

Setting

Wheelchair users with SCI/D living in the community in the US.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from six wheelchair users with SCI/D. Data were analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis.

Results

Experiences of wheelchair users during air travel clustered into three themes; experiences interacting with the airport, experiences interacting with the airplane, and experiences across all stages of air travel. Barriers to airport accessibility were minimal. Physical barriers to airplane accessibility and damage to wheelchairs occurred when interacting with the airplane and airline staff. Undertrained staff and a shift in responsibility to the passenger with a disability impacted all stages of the experience.

Conclusion

Wheelchair users with SCI/D encounter challenges that can result in unsafe and inaccessible air travel within the US. Adverse consequences of air travel often impact the individual’s independence and quality of life during and after the flight. Participants provided recommendations to improve the air travel experience for wheelchair users, including the ability to remain in one’s wheelchair while onboard the airplane.

中文翻译：

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调查美国航空旅行的挑战：对患有脊髓损伤或疾病的轮椅使用者的生活经历进行定性研究

学习规划

定性探索性研究。

目标

了解在美国 (US) 乘坐轮椅的脊髓损伤或疾病 (SCI/D) 患者的生活经历，重点关注使用这种交通方式的挑战和障碍。

环境

居住在美国社区的 SCI/D 轮椅使用者。

方法

采用半结构化访谈的方式收集了 6 名患有 SCI/D 的轮椅使用者的数据。使用六步主题分析对数据进行分析。

结果

轮椅使用者在航空旅行期间的经历分为三个主题：与机场互动的体验、与飞机互动的体验以及航空旅行各个阶段的体验。到达机场的障碍很小。在与飞机和航空公司工作人员互动时，会出现飞机无障碍的物理障碍和轮椅损坏。训练有素的工作人员以及对残疾乘客的责任转移影响了体验的各个阶段。

结论

患有 SCI/D 的轮椅使用者会遇到一些挑战，这些挑战可能会导致美国境内的航空旅行不安全且无法进行。航空旅行的不利后果通常会影响个人在飞行期间和飞行后的独立性和生活质量。参与者提供了改善轮椅使用者航空旅行体验的建议，包括在飞机上保持轮椅的能力。