Air Canada ordered to change its policy

Carrie Moffatt, who is legally blind and suffers from hearing loss, filed a complaint against Air Canada back in September 2013 after being told she could only travel if accompanied by a safety assistant. Ms Moffatt called Air Canada’s special assistance desk after booking a flight on the airline’s website to explain that she is self-reliant and she would be travelling with her guide dog. Despite also explaining that her hearing loss is mitigated by hearing aids, she was told by the Air Canada Medical Assistance Desk agent that she could not travel alone, as Air Canada's policy does not allow deaf-blind people to travel without an attendant.

Following the investigation into Ms Moffatt’s complaint, the Canadian Transportation Agency determined that Air Canada’s policy regarding the carriage of passengers who are both deaf and blind discriminates among disabilities. The CTA found that the airline’s policy does not differentiate between persons who are deaf-blind and self-reliant, and persons who are deaf-blind and non-self-reliant. In other words, Air Canada assumes that all persons who are deaf-blind are non-self-reliant and therefore require an attendant to travel.
In its findings, the CTA said Air Canada's policy at the time of Ms Moffatt's travel constituted an undue obstacle to her mobility and that of other persons who are partially deaf-blind.

However, Air Canada since filed an amended version of the policy that no longer states that a person who is deaf-blind requires an attendant. The Canadian Transportation Agency accepts that by removing this discriminatory assumption, Air Canada has met the needs of persons who are partially deaf-blind.

Air Canada was given until today to ensure Medical Assistance Desk clerks and staff at all customer contact points are aware of how to apply Air Canada's policy and procedures and properly determine the self-reliance of passengers who are partially deaf-blind.