Too many of us, it sometimes appears, are of the mind that disabled people should take their societal lumps and keep their traps shut.
So when Tim Rose, a 31-year-old disabled activist and author who has cerebral palsy, was told by Air Canada on Sunday that his wheelchair was 13 centimetres too large to fit into the cargo hold on a flight he had booked from Toronto to Cleveland next month, the airline likely expected him to accept it with a minimum of fuss.
He did not.
Instead, he publicly accused Air Canada of discrimination, a charge that has now made its way into the media.
Saying it regrets the situation, Air Canada is currently in negotiations with Rose to find a way to move forward.
The airline has offered Rose two options: he can either take a connecting flight on a plane that can accommodate his wheelchair or he can be flown out separately, so his wheelchair is transported on a different flight.
The founder of a non-profit, Disability Positive Consulting, Rose finds options not particularly palatable.
He has accepted neither, perhaps because he was originally told his wheelchair was akin to oversized luggage.
More likely, he wants to make a point for disabled people everywhere.
Rose joined RCI by phone on Wednesday from his office in Toronto.Listen
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