A paralyzed man is suing Delta Airlines for forcing him crawl off a plane. D. Baraka Kanaan filed a lawsuit claiming the airline refused to accommodate his disability or offer any assistance, the Daily Mail reports.
Kanaan said in July of last year he was humiliated by the airline as flight attendants and passengers watched him crawl "hand-over-hand" down the aisle, down a flight of stairs and across the tarmac to his wheelchair.
The former college professor had booked two separate flights from Hawaii to Nantucket and called several weeks before his scheduled trio and spoke to a Delta customer service representative avout his disability. According to the Daily Mail, he explained to the rep that he was going to need an aisle chair to get to his seat and an air lift to get on the plane. The rep reportedly told him that it wouldn't be a problem.
His original flight was canceled due to weather and he was booked for another one the following day. According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by the Huffington Post, when he arrived in Nantucket the flight attendant informed him that there were no aisle chairs or air lifts available.
When he asked the attendant what he was supposed to do he claims he was told: "I don't know, but we can't get you off the place."
Kanaan said he could see a lift at an adjacent gate. While wearing "his best suit" he had to crawl off the plane to his wheelchair without help from the flight crew. He said the incident caused "great physical and emotional suffering."
According to the Huffington Post, Kanaan called Delta to complain about what happened and to make sure they would properly prepared to assist him for his return flight. When he got to the airport to return home he was shocked they still didn't have an air lift or an aisle chair.
He was forced to crawl again and says this time a flight attendant offered to put a piece of cardboard under him so he wouldn't ruin his clothes. No one offered to try and find anything to help him get on the plane.
After the incident, which happened on July 26, 2012, the former college professor said he was offered 25,000 sky miles and a $100 voucher by Delta. He refused both offers.
