Media Baffled by Wheelchair ‘Miracles’ Because They Don’t Understand Disability (FAIR)

[ahimsa]

January 12 article from FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting):

Media Baffled by Wheelchair ‘Miracles’ Because They Don’t Understand Disability
(some line breaks added)

In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, the Wall Street Journal (12/18/25) punched down on mobility-impaired people. On December 18, the outlet published a story headlined “They Get Wheeled on Flights and Miraculously Walk Off. Praise ‘Jetway Jesus.’”

The story claimed to expose a growing trend in airline travel: “wheelchair scammers,” who pretend to need wheelchairs so as to speed through the security gate and get early boarding. ...

The Journal seemed largely unaware of the common phenomenon of ambulatory wheelchair users—that is, people who are able to walk or stand, but benefit from a wheelchair in certain circumstances due to mobility limitations.

The article included no quotes from relevant medical or disability experts on wheelchair usage suggesting that the journalist investigated different possibilities. It cited only one disabled passenger, who claimed to be able to tell who didn’t need a wheelchair on one of her flights.

The article mentions Long Covid, ME/CFS, and POTS (probably meaning orthostatic intolerance, but POTS is often used in news articles) as well as several other medical conditions.

No ‘divine intervention’ needed

Even if there are people who ask for wheelchairs at airports for some perceived benefit unrelated to disability, none of these articles offered evidence that this is a common problem. Meanwhile, the articles omitted one well-documented reason there might be more ambulatory wheelchair users in recent years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of the labor force with a disability has dramatically increased since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, by about 50%.

Studies estimate that from 10% to 30% of people who have had Covid experience Long Covid, or chronic conditions after infection. Of these, about half have been shown to have myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), an increasingly common energy-limiting condition that leaves individuals unable to exert without impairing baseline functioning. The distance from the entrance to the gate at larger airports is about a mile, an impossible distance for many with ME/CFS. The Journal article cites how ambulatory wheelchair users have no excuse at smaller airports, given the shorter distances to the gate, but people with severe ME/CFS often struggle to climb a flight of stairs.

Additionally, up to 79% of people with Long Covid have been shown to have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a circulatory condition. POTS primarily manifests in an inability to stand upright for any substantial period of time without symptoms such as nausea and fainting, due to blood pooling and significant heart rate increases. For people with conditions like POTS, being transported through the security gate to avoid standing in a long line is not the “VIP experience” but a necessity.

I'm sure this article applies to many of the people on this forum. I know it applies to me because I also need a wheelchair in airports (on those rare occasions when I travel).

Many onlookers seem baffled when I'm able to get out of the wheelchair, especially since I tend to move quickly when I do. For short distances it's easier to walk quickly to get to the next chair/seat rather than walking slowly. It means less time standing up.

 

[hotblack]

Was definitely something I was self conscious of when first ill and less severe, and I would probably have benefited from using a chair more often. Even now, being severe and v rarely getting the opportunity, the fact I can when at my best briefly stand and can move my legs or walk a few steps, but can manage a little more if using a wheelchair is something that feels odd and probably looks odd to others.

More acceptance from society would be useful for a lot of us I think. May there be some people who take the piss? Possibly, there often is in life. But it’s a minority and doesn’t mean we should punch down on everyone. It also seems a small price to pay to make many more people’s lives easier and better.

 

[Kitty]

More acceptance from society would be useful for a lot of us I think.

As a long term wheelchair user, I think there's a lot more acceptance and understanding. I wonder if part of it is driven by the number of elderly people who now have access to powered mobility scooters? Even 20 years ago there were far fewer of them, and the people who needed them were invisible because they were stuck at home. Now there are scooters everywhere, and all of their owners can walk. Observers grasp the reason they're using them without even thinking about it.

I've only been asked once when I was getting my powechair into the van at a supermarket, and my response was a puzzled "But the majority of wheelchair users can walk. Just not far enough to get about."

My confusion about being asked something I thought everyone knew was so genuine that he seemed to believe me. He said "Oh, sorry, I didn't realise."

 

[hotblack]

Interesting, thanks @Kitty Maybe that is more the case in some areas than others? Maybe it was partially age, being a younger otherwise fit and healthy looking person? Maybe it was my own pride and prejudice showing! It certainly felt like I got a lot of looks. Maybe they weren’t judging but something else.

 

[MEMarge]

The major disadvantage of needing wheelchair assistance at airports is the length of time you remain on the plane until the mobility assistance arrives. I had to wait for an hour at Heathrow once before I was transported to baggage claim, where my walker was available. My husband and daughter had already picked up the luggage and gone through customs.
It is even worse for those hoping to catch a connecting flight.
I was amused that our vehicle driver was asked to also take two business travellers through immigration. They were from Pratt and Witney (aircraft engine makers) who were attending the Farnborough airshow and the queue for non UK passholders was ridiculously long, whereas the "disabled" one was very short.
The original people on the vehicle had already been dropped off.