Candy Harrington is the editor of Emerging Horizons and the author of several accessible travel titl

When 24-year old Sarah Mueller free travel maps and brochures boarded her AirTran flight from Naples, Florida to Milwaukee, she was expecting a comfortable flight. After all she has more than 50 flights under her belt, and she routinely purchases an exit row seat so she ll be more comfortable on the flight. You see, Sarah has Spina Bifida and in her own words, cramped seating exacerbates the chronic soreness in her joints.
But Sarah knew something was awry the moment the gate agent summonded her to the podium. He wanted to clarify that she needed wheelchair assistance free travel maps and brochures in Milwaukee and that she also requested and paid for exit row seating. She answered yes on all accounts. The gate agent then informed her that she did not meet the selection criteria for exit row seating and that she would have to be reseated. Well kind of unfortunately he used less than appropriate language when Sara questioned him about her eligibility. Apparently he replied To sit in those seats you have to actually be healthy.
It was an unfortunate choice of words, to say the least. All I can say is that I hope AirTran addresses the issue in a future employee free travel maps and brochures training session. I also hope they offer Ms. Mueller an apology for the insensitivity of their gate agent.
Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines can t prohibit a passenger with a disability free travel maps and brochures from sitting in a particular seat, except when safety rules prohibit it. And in this case, the FAA safety rules do prohibit free travel maps and brochures it. Under those rules, airlines may not seat anyone in an exit row who lacks sufficient strength in both arms and both legs to:
Now I m not making a judgment on whether or not Ms. Mueller could perform those duties that s not my place however I think it s apparent they take a certain amount of endurance. I also think it s reasonable to assume that if you need wheelchair assistance in the airport even if it s just to conserve your energy then these tasks may prove too arduous for you. After all, it s an endurance issue. And that s the call the flight attendant made.
So in the end it s a split decision for me. I believe the gate agent was horribly wrong when he implied that Ms. Mueller wasn t healthy; however I side with the flight attendant for barring Sarah from an exit row set. After all, it s all about safety.
Candy Harrington is the editor of Emerging Horizons and the author free travel maps and brochures of several accessible travel titles; including the classic, Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers