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Hey y’all, I’m organizing this for my dear friend and community member October. I cannot think of anyone less-deserving of this disrespect, and more-deserving of a helping hand. October is a fierce advocate, a brilliant artist, and a generous friend. It’s our time to show up! - Hannah
October is a trans, disabled, neurodivergent, and Jewish queercrip who recently went to visit a friend in Dublin. On the flight back, the airline, Aerlingus: did not provide the accommodations that were requested in advance, gate checked his wheelchair frame, and then upon arrival, lost the frame for about 20 minutes and didn’t have an airport wheelchair to use to get him off the plane.
After the frame was located, rather than being returned to him at the airplane gate as it should have, October was wheeled through the airport to baggage claim, where it was clear the chair had been damaged beyond safe use. The airline snapped the metal hardware on the backrest, lost the hardware to the left wheel lock, dented the front of the titanium frame in two places and damaged/loosened the camber bar so the wheels are rickety when attached. Aerlingus had rendered October’s chair entirely inoperable, with no plans of compensation.
This damage is coming almost immediately after dealing with several other devastating losses. Earlier this year, October’s car was towed and the fees were too high that he had to sign the car away to the city. Four days later, he was driving up I-5 in CA and got in 3 back-to back-crashes, totalling his car and leaving him stranded 6 hours from home. Beyond the emotional turmoil that accidents and financial exploit cause, October became fully dependent on his wheelchair after these incidents.
This is October’s only chair. It enables him to go to work, to go grocery shopping, go to the doctor, see friends, or otherwise live his life. Navigating San Francisco and commuting to the East Bay are difficult enough as a disabled person with a mobility aid. But without a chair, it is downright insufferable, let alone impossible.
Chair repairs will cost at minimum $1500 without replacing the dented frame (if he is even able to repair the chair himself). This doesn’t account for labor cost or work missed due to physically being unable to commute.
We are asking for donations towards chair repair and time compensation. Any extra money leftover will go to getting a new wheelchair accessible car.
Thanks y’all.
October is a trans, disabled, neurodivergent, and Jewish queercrip who recently went to visit a friend in Dublin. On the flight back, the airline, Aerlingus: did not provide the accommodations that were requested in advance, gate checked his wheelchair frame, and then upon arrival, lost the frame for about 20 minutes and didn’t have an airport wheelchair to use to get him off the plane.
After the frame was located, rather than being returned to him at the airplane gate as it should have, October was wheeled through the airport to baggage claim, where it was clear the chair had been damaged beyond safe use. The airline snapped the metal hardware on the backrest, lost the hardware to the left wheel lock, dented the front of the titanium frame in two places and damaged/loosened the camber bar so the wheels are rickety when attached. Aerlingus had rendered October’s chair entirely inoperable, with no plans of compensation.
This damage is coming almost immediately after dealing with several other devastating losses. Earlier this year, October’s car was towed and the fees were too high that he had to sign the car away to the city. Four days later, he was driving up I-5 in CA and got in 3 back-to back-crashes, totalling his car and leaving him stranded 6 hours from home. Beyond the emotional turmoil that accidents and financial exploit cause, October became fully dependent on his wheelchair after these incidents.
This is October’s only chair. It enables him to go to work, to go grocery shopping, go to the doctor, see friends, or otherwise live his life. Navigating San Francisco and commuting to the East Bay are difficult enough as a disabled person with a mobility aid. But without a chair, it is downright insufferable, let alone impossible.
Chair repairs will cost at minimum $1500 without replacing the dented frame (if he is even able to repair the chair himself). This doesn’t account for labor cost or work missed due to physically being unable to commute.
We are asking for donations towards chair repair and time compensation. Any extra money leftover will go to getting a new wheelchair accessible car.
Thanks y’all.