Unlike trains or buses, it is still not possible for wheelchair users to stay in their wheelchairs on-board a plane. For those who are not able to sit comfortably in a plane chair, this makes flying impossible

The Row-1 by Ciara Crawford  has explored this problem area that hasn’t seen much in terms of commercial realization. The Row-1, simply put, is an inclusive-design wheelchair that lets disabled and elderly patrons at an airport go straight from the check-in desk to inside the airline, and de-board the flight at their destination. The wheelchair works exactly how you’d expect it to, allowing the traveler to cover large distances within an airport (with help from airline staff), but where it really shines is in the way it rolls right into the aircraft and secures itself to the airplane seat.

“1 million travelers with disabilities took 23 million trips over the past two years, spending $9 billion on their flights”, says Ciara, a design graduate from the University of Limerick, Ireland. 

Do you think it’s time commercial airlines take the lead and find innovative solutions for people with mobility disabilities?

Photo courtesy of https://www.yankodesign.com/