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“Mobility devices are an extension of our bodies. When they are damaged or destroyed, we become re-disabled. Until the airlines learn how to treat our devices with the care and respect they deserve, flying remains inaccessible.” - Engracia Figueroa |
Engracia Figueroa, a prominent advocate for disabled people, recently passed away due to complications from injuries she sustained after United Airlines destroyed her custom wheelchair.
A committed activist with the Long Term Support Services for All Coalition and a Home and Community-Based Services Storytelling Fellow, Engracia’s life is mourned by many.
We are joining our friends and allies at Hand in Hand in honoring her memory and legacy by demanding that United Airlines take responsibility to stop damaging assistive devices and destroying the lives of people with disabilities.
Engracia and Christine, her friend and home care worker
On average, airlines damage or destroy 29 wheelchairs per day.
This past July, Engracia boarded a United Airlines flight and, once the plane landed, discovered that her custom wheelchair had been damaged by the airline. Engracia and Christine, her friend and home care worker, were stuck in the airport for nearly five hours.
Without her wheelchair, Engracia was forced to use a manual and loaner power chair that led to the development of a pressure sore and multiple hospitalizations. When the sore became infected, she required emergency surgery.
Engracia died needlessly and as a result of ableist systems that fail people with disabilities every day.
We will not let her death or her activism be in vain.
Join us as we demand that airlines like United stop discriminating against people with assistive devices. Sign our petition today and tell United and other airlines that they must create regulations and systems to protect these devices and ensure accessibility to people with disabilities.
Thanks for all that you do,
Care Team
National Domestic Workers Alliance