🎧 Listen to the full episode, Airline Accessibility: How Maayan Ziv Turned a Mangled Wheelchair Into Real Change, on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Â
Travel has always been part of Maayan Ziv’s life. But as she shares on Disability Rights, and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast by Accessible Media Inc., a love for travel still comes with barriers, especially with air travel.
“The world is filled with barriers. If you want a chance at a good life, or a meaningful life – or a life where you can seize your own potential – you’re going to have to advocate.” – Maayan Ziv, (5:11) Â
In the episode, Maayan speaks openly about the barriers she experiences when flying: not being able to board with a personal wheelchair, having to use a seating style that doesn’t meet her needs, navigating systems that remove independence long before the plane even takes off, and countless more issues. Many of these barriers are invisible and incredibly complex – hours are spent on the phone coordinating with airlines, filling out forms, the anxiety of handing over her mobility to a stranger, or knowing that using the washroom mid-flight simply isn’t an option.Â
Maayan reflects on the moment that pushed her to speak out more publicly, after her wheelchair had been severely damaged on an international flight.
With years of lived experience and a growing platform, Maayan used a vulnerable moment to highlight a larger truth: airline accessibility isn’t just about inconvenience – it’s about dignity, safety, and the right to move through the world independently. Air travel should not be this complicated for people with disabilities. From this was born the #Rights on Flights movement, and the valuable work being done with Canada’s first ever Accessible Air Travel Forum.Â
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