B.C. woman with disability alleges discrimination after being forced to deplane over wheelchair size

A young Abbotsford, B.C., woman with disabilities claims she experienced ableism on a recent Air Canada flight.

A young Abbotsford, B.C., woman with disabilities claims she experienced ableism on a recent Air Canada flight.

Kourtney Kujawa, 24, uses a motorized wheelchair, which the airline said was too big to put in the cargo hold.

On Sunday, Kujawa was leaving Vancouver International Airport for Denver, Colo., for a conference for people who also have the same rare genetic skin disorder called recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

“It's a place where I don't feel different; I feel so different when I'm at home. So it was just really important for me to come and see my old friends and meet some new ones,” she told CTV News.

Kujawa was travelling with her sister and friend. Prior to the flight, she had given the travel agent the dimensions of the wheelchair and she had requested that the trio sit together near the front. Her hands have been amputated and she needs the help from loved ones.

“I need assistance with most everything and so like, walking, putting the seatbelt on, passing the drink or if I needed medication,” she explained.

But when they got to the airport, they learned their seats were split up. Eventually, an agent was able to find seats for Kujawa to sit with her friend.