A disabled woman has described being "treated like luggage" after getting struck abroad when her electric wheelchair was damaged.
Maayan Ziv took to Instagram in a tearful upload on the social media channel to say she feels like "people with disabilities aren't seen" after she was left with the broken wheelchair upon arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Electric wheelchairs are not allowed on planes unless they are in the hold, so Mayaan took the necessary steps to protect her vital equipment with bubble wrap before boarding the Air Canada flight.
It was broken when she arrived at the airport.
With the equipment so important to Maayan's mobility, she described it as being like she was "stripped of her independence".
She told Global News: "It was a surprise and a complete shock and unfortunately extremely triggering.
"I arrived and my wheelchair was totally damaged, it looked like it had been folded in half, and it’s very sturdy metal so it had either been dropped or something had fallen on it."
Maayan, from Toronto in Canada, was due to attend an accessibility conference in the Israeli city.
She is unsure if some of the parts can be replaced and if the device weighing between 130 and 180 kilograms can be repaired.
She described its condition: "It’s barely moving...there’s a lot of rattling and clanking, but the most shocking and obvious thing is that’s happened is that the entire seat itself has been mangled.
"I’m just kind of stuck. Anything I had planned to do, any of the conference events are kind of out the window, because what am I supposed to do?
"I can’t even leave this room, I’m sitting in a wheelchair right now that’s from the airport which is meant for a much larger person than me."
The entrepreneur called on Canada to begin keeping track of how many wheelchairs and scooters are damaged every month, something which the neighbouring US does already.
"This is more than an inconvenience, this is my life. This is my mobility, my health and my independence," she added.
According to data collected by the Air Travel Consumer Report, 5,179 wheelchairs and scooters were mishandled on US planes between January and June 2022.
She said she was disappointed with Air Canada's offer of an e-coupon equivalent to just under £200.
The much-needed wheelchair costs a total of around £19,000.
Air Canada said it remains in contact with Maayan to try and resolve the dispute.
