Bureau of Civil Aviation Security sees Differently-abled people as threat

As per the regulations of the BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) there is high likelihood of differently-abled persons carrying weapons, explosives and other unsafe equipment with them, and thus there is sufficient reason to be more alert and suspicious. As per an extract of the regulation by BCAS, “Screeners should be thoroughly briefed that the possibility of carrying weapons/explosives and other dangerous materials through such passengers is higher than a normal passenger and therefore, these passengers need to be checked with care.” This was revealed by an RTI Application filed by Disabled Rights Group (DRG) headed by activist Javed Abidi.

For this reason, the Disabled Rights Group (DRG) has depicted the resolution as disability numb and an abuse of the human rights of persons with disability.

Some Indian Airlines have been recently abused of violation of the rights of the disabled passengers. For example, recently, private carrier Spice-Jet forced Ms. Jeeja Ghosh, who suffered from cerebral palsy (she is also the head of advocay and disability studies at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy) to get off from a flight as they felt she was not fit to fly.

The situation in U.S.A.

The U.S. in contrast to India has Transportation Security Administration (TSA) providing a devoted helpline to assist passengers with disabilities. Travellers can call 72 hours before their travel for information about what to anticipate at the screening.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2012