The executive director for the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities NL is highlighting the difficulties associated with air travel for people with physical mobility disabilities.

Nancy Reid says there are many barriers associated with air travel especially for wheelchair users, starting with the boarding process.

For a person travelling in a chair, there is a transition chair provided by the airline that is used to navigate through the aircraft, which is controlled by a flight attendant.

She says the person is completely reliant on the ability of the attendants to maneuver in that space. She says there are numerous stories of people who have fallen or been dropped.

Reid says another common issue is bathroom access. She recounts a personal experience while travelling to San Francisco.

She says the trip was almost 24 hours in each direction and between four different planes, only one had an accessible washroom.