A canceled flight left this blind traveler asking strangers for help

• A blind traveler's difficult journey highlights the challenges visually impaired people face in airports.
• Flight disruptions can be especially stressful for blind passengers when airport assistance is inadequate.
• Experts say a lack of access to information and improper staff training are major barriers for blind travelers.

Airports can be especially difficult and stressful to navigate for blind travelers under the best of circumstances, but when something goes wrong, like a flight delay or cancellation, it can be even more difficult to get back on track than it is for other travelers. 

Anthony Maglione was flying from Pittsburgh to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, via Philadelphia on March 16 and started having issues soon after his first flight. 

When a wheelchair met him at the gate in Philadelphia, he knew he wasn’t being accommodated properly.

“I told them I don’t need a wheelchair. I am visually impaired,” Maglione told USA TODAY. He was eventually brought by an airport assistant to the gate for the flight to Sarasota, but that service was delayed and eventually canceled due to weather. Maglione said the airport assistant did not return when the flight was canceled, and he only learned about it because his app pinged him – there was no verbal announcement of the cancellation that he could hear. 

Maglione said he struggled to get assistance in the airport as he navigated the rebooking process. 

Eventually, Maglione realized he’d need to rely on other passengers for help. 

“I stood up and said, ‘I will pay somebody to take me to the American Airlines desk,’” he said. 

A fellow traveler helped for no charge, but Maglione said it was still a frustrating experience. 

He was ultimately rebooked on a flight via Charlotte, North Carolina, the next day and given a hotel voucher and some meal assistance. Maglione said throughout the journey, he struggled to receive the appropriate assistance, including not being met by a guide after being dropped off by the hotel shuttle.  

When his flight from Charlotte was also delayed, Maglione said he again needed to rely on other travelers to help navigate the airport. 

American Airlines told USA TODAY that it was reviewing the incident.  

“American Airlines is committed to providing a positive travel experience for all of our customers, including those who need special assistance. We are reviewing this with our vendor, Prospect, which handles special services for several airlines at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to help improve future experiences,” the airline said in a statement. “Our team has been in touch with the customer to apologize, learn more and extend a gesture of goodwill.” 

Maglione’s experience is representative of what many blind travelers go through every day, according to Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind. 

“The biggest barrier for blind people in airports is a lack of access to the information that everybody else uses to navigate the airport,” he said, adding that the troubles can start even before travelers reach the airport, sometimes as soon as they try to book.

Issues for blind travelers 

Riccobono said many airlines and airports only provide information visually, either through signage on travel days or on their websites during the booking process. 

“There are sometimes website accessibility barriers, either in the website, in the mobile app, or in the aggregators that are out there for really effectively searching for flights, identifying flights, that is an issue,” he said. “A number of airlines have made good efforts to be accessible in their properties, but it continues to be a thing that comes up.” 

Riccobono added that many blind travelers are treated differently from other passengers, and are often called out for their disability by airline or airport employees, even if they haven’t disclosed it upfront.  

“A lot of blind people get flagged on their record as having a disability, even though they haven’t disclosed it. That sometimes becomes problematic, because they get treated differently,” Riccobono said. “A lot of times, the default is, because you’re blind, you’re harassed into preboarding ... This is all happening in front of other customers, which creates a little bit of anxiety about how you’re treated.” 

The lack of information generally is a big issue for blind travelers as well, along with airline and airport employees not understanding the rules that govern accommodations for blind passengers. 

“Many blind people have had their canes physically taken from them and stowed somewhere else, which, of course, if there is an emergency, it’s a safety issue,” Riccobono said. “Most blind people I know, if there’s an emergency, they’re not waiting, they’re getting up and getting out like everybody else.” 

Among the other issues he identified were airlines not appropriately accommodating guide dogs and not having accessible information placards like braille row markers available on their planes. 

How airlines and airports can do better 

Maglione and Riccobono both said that training and implementing new technology can go a long way toward improving the flying experience for blind travelers. 

“Adopting some of these tools that provide very good alternatives to physical signage, which I think would help all travelers for all sorts of reasons,” Riccobono said. “There are good technology approaches out there.” 

Maglione said basic training on how to assist blind travelers would have totally alleviated his situation. 

He added that he hopes sharing his story can help other airlines work to avoid putting other travelers through experiences similar to his. 

“Every airline needs to know before they get caught in this situation, how to deal with people,” Maglione said. 

Riccobono said that the training needs to start with something as basic as the right way to approach a blind passenger. 

“Every blind person has had the experience of being in the airport and having airport personnel run up to them and grab them,” he said. “When someone runs up to me and grabs me, and they haven’t said anything, my first reaction is not to say hello.” 

How other travelers can help 

When the airline systems fail, however, other travelers may still need to step in to help. 

Riccobono said a few basic tips can help make those interactions as smooth as possible. 

• Greet the person/announce yourself: The most basic thing he said other passengers can do is to start by saying a simple hello and not assuming their blind fellow traveler is helpless. He said he’s had many situations where he asked another passenger what gate he was standing in front of and the person automatically assumed he was lost and needed an escort to where he was going, even though he was just trying to confirm he was in the right place. 

• Offer your elbow when escorting: “Don’t grab their arm, offer your elbow. Don’t grab my cane, and bam, those are the basics of dealing with a blind person,” he said. “They’re supposed to be a liaison there for me.” 

• Listen to the person you’re trying to help: Don’t overstep and assume they’re lost or helpless. Ask them if they need anything, and don’t do more than they ask for. 

“Don’t assume, if you see a person with a disability, that they need help,” he said. “A lot of people jump to superhero mode. A lot of times if a person with a disability asks you a question, don’t jump to three steps down the line, just answer the question.” 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at [email protected].