From: silverm@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Jeff Silverman)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Handicappers on El Al
Date: 15 Oct 92 05:05:56 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle

slonim@ilx057 (Slonim Edwin) writes:

>friedenb@sapphire.egr.msu.edu (Gedaliah Friedenberg) writes:
>: 
>: I have a friend who is confined to a wheelchair.
>....

>El Al carries many many wheelchair passengers, I usually see 5 or 6 on every
>flight.  (Their boarding area near gate 1 in Tel Aviv is right next to the
>King David Lounge that I use).

>They take you in a wheelchair up to the door of the plane (by elevator, then
>special vehicle on stilts like a mobile lounge), boarding you early
>so that you can be helped to your seat.  

>On arrival in NY you go out the jetway, and then by elevator to the customs
>area.  In both cases I have always seen wheelchair passengers with El Al
>provided assistance, including clearing customs etc.  You may have to wait
>until the other passengers have gone through and the passageways are clear.

>The reverse direction is similar.

>The second issue is the bathrooms, and I don't know what to suggest.  It
>would depend on his handicap and degree of mobility if he would need a
>special appliance or other solution.  Anyway, I am not aware of any
>difference between airlines in this respect.  They all fly the same planes
>with the same toilets.

>In business class, he could possibly take his own wheelchair on board, and it
>would make it easier to reach the bathroom.  Also, there is a curtain there
>over the bathroom entrance, and a sort of anteroom, so perhaps he could even
>go by himself and not close the door...


>: 
>: There are two problems (as he explains it):
>: 
>: Boarding El Al in New York is not Handicapper accessable (you have to go
>: down that fight of stairs) and getting off in Israel is by going down a 
>: staircase onto the tarmac.
>: 
>: AND
>: 
>: Once being helped out of his wheelchair (into his seat on the plane) he
>: is unable to get around.  He claims that even with his experienced
>: bladder he cannot sit for 11-14 hours without going to the bathroom.
>: He is a big guy (around 5'10" 180lbs) and could be carried to the 
>: bathroom if necessary, but he would rather find a better solution.
>: 


>Moadim Lesimcha,


>--
>Edwin Slonim, Intel Software Products, Haifa, Israel, slonim@iil.intel.com
>"God is real unless declared integer"-anon   Disc: my own firmly held opinion
>   phone (011)+972-435-5910, fax (011)+972-435-5674 voicemail (916)356-2005

I might be in a position to help.  Let me ask some questions here:

1) Is this a real problem?  It is a real problem if there are a significant
number of disabled airline passengers flying long flights.  Tel Aviv to
Elat doesn't cut it.  One or two passengers a month probably won't cut it.

2) Is there a good solution which is effective, safe, and lightweight (Cheap
is nice but not a requirement)?

3) Will implementing this solution give El Al and the Boeing Company some
competive advantage (If there are good answers to #1 and #2, then this is
a no-brainer)?

Boeing sometimes give cash awards for good ideas.  If somebody herein presents
a good idea, I will get an award for it.  I would be willing to share the
award with the originator.

So far, the best idea I have come up with is to put a jump seat on a drink
cart.  The disabled person could transfer from seat to jump seat and get rolled
to the bathroom.  How does the disabled person get from the jump seat to the
toilet?  There is a handle in the bathroom, but it is designed to stabilize
the person, not to hang from.

GIve it a good think and let me know.


Jeff Silverman, Sr. Engineer.                                       //
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