Compliments to Silk Air from a blind guide dog user Mama’s submition to the forum pages of the Straits Times Edited version published on 21 June Travelling alone outside of Singapore despite my blindness is not a new experience. However for the first time in 19 months, I travelled with Esme my guide dog and I did this without any sighted travelling companion! Up to this point in time, I resisted this idea as I was concerned about the possible challenges I would face. Upon reflecting on my experience travelling with a guide dog this past week, I am extremely grateful to find that I was very mistaken. From the moment I arrived at Changi airport Terminal 2 till I reached my hotel room, there was nothing that made me feel discriminated for my choice of mobility aid. My guide dog was respected for her professional role as a service animal by each and every Silk Air staff that we encountered. I would like to take this opportunity to profoundly thank Silk air for making this seamless travel experience possible for me. The cabin and ground crew team at Both Singapore and Phuket airport went beyond the call of duty. They made me feel just like another normal traveler, by providing the support that made something so difficult without sight be done so easily. Their kind and gracious attitude in ensuring that my transit from check in to air craft to working with the quarantine officials to locating my baggage’s made it such a pleasant experience. Esme my guide dog did not attract any undue negative attention from the staff, and neither was their attitude condescending towards me as a blind person which is a common experience for us. My experience with Silk air demonstrates that Singapore based airlines are very supportive towards blind people with their guide dogs, contrary to the negative publicity early this year of another Singapore guide dog team’s experience with air travels. Cassandra Chiu (MS)
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 06:17:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015