Traveling in a Wheelchair

Hey Everyone!

This blog describes my first airplane trip since my accident. It was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to do it again.

On the weekend of April 5-7, the Lebanese Collegiate Network (LCN) held their 6th annual convention at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The organization brings together Lebanese Clubs from various universities nationwide. Their goal is to connect and professionally develop undergraduates, and cater to alumni and young professionals. The convention consisted of various activities, including academic and professional workshops. It was a great learning experience and I connected with many new people. I attended the convention with the financial support from the USC Lebanese Club.  

The most exciting part was traveling to the convention. The last time I traveled was over 5 years ago, before my accident. It really was a whole new experience. Before going, I had done my reading on the topic of paraplegics and air traveling. My brother and I also attended a free workshop at the Abilities Expo in Los Angeles a few weekends prior to my trip to get some advice on traveling.

Chicago was only a two hour drive from the convention location, so with a group of friends, we decided to land at O’hare airport. We had some time before the convention started to explore the city. We checked out the main tourist sites like the renowned Willis Tower Skydeck. It is 103 floors high with a glass box balcony, allowing you to see all of downtown Chicago not only in front of you but also below you! We also got to see the infamous Bean in Millenium Park. I finally understand why everyone loves it. You get a beautiful panoramic view of the entire city. Oh! And I can’t forget the mouth-watering deep dish pizza from Giordano's! I would travel back to Chicago just for that pizza.

So here is how you travel in a wheelchair:  

Click here to see the video

As discussed in the video, I checked in as you normally would at the airport, but once you approach the airline counter to get your boarding passes, be sure to inform the employee behind the counter that you need an aisle chair. This chair will ultimately be of great importance because it allows you to get to your seat. You can also request a seat on the plane with more leg room to help with the transfer (and you might get bumped up to business class!).

Although the majority of checking in is fairly normal, the security check is different. With the wheelchair being metal, the metal detectors will obviously react. Therefore, you are taken aside and undergo a thorough pat down. The security guard wipes around the chair to test if there are any harmful chemicals. A positive to the special treatment is that you do not have to remove your shoes, jacket, belt, etc. as you normally would have to, which saves some time.

From there, you’re the first person to board the plane. The aisle chair that was requested at the check in is found at the end of the tunnel before entering the plane. All I did was simply transfer on to it. It is not the most stable chair, but the assistants were extremely helpful as they held the chair down for me. They then strap you in and take you to your seat as the wheelchair is put under the plane. The Airline employees suggested that I take my cushion and anti-tippers with me on board because the wheelchair is treated as a regular piece of luggage, meaning it can get tossed around below the plane which may cause some damage to the wheelchair. From my experience, I noticed that the spindles on the wheels became significantly looser when I landed in Chicago. Thankfully, it was a simple fix but it shows that you must be prepared for potential damage to your wheelchair.

After transferring onto the aisle chair, I was then taken to my seat. Unlike how I planned, I was placed in the third row as opposed to the first row with more leg space because the first two rows did not have movable armrests which makes transferring harder. Fortunately, the third row had armrests capable of lifting up. I got a window seat which just meant I needed to hop over a couple seats. It wasn’t too bad. Once we landed in Chicago and everyone got off the plane, the assistants brought back the aisle chair. After getting on it, I was taken to the tunnel where I retrieved my wheelchair. All I had to do was transfer back into it!

After landing in Chicago and quickly touring the city, my friends and I drove to Indiana for the convention.

It was a great experience and I hope to do it again soon! If you have the opportunity to travel, do not hesitate just because of the wheelchair. It is definitely feasible and worth doing! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at helpjenwalkagain@gmail.com.

God bless and Love always,

Jen Bou Lahoud