However, it was not just any flight. It was Gelgi’s first and one that highlighted the growing attention to accessibility. Gelgi, 25, is 7 feet, 0.7 inches tall. Her proportions are a result of Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes bone overgrowth. She has been a Guinness World Records celebrity since she was a teenager and holds records in several size-related categories, including longest fingers on a living person and longest back on a living woman. Gelgi travels regularly to share her story and uses her warm spirit to spread body positivity on social media. However, despite her international profile, she had never flown on a plane before. Like many people with Weaver syndrome, Gelgi uses mobility aids to get around, and a long flight would require special accommodations for her extraordinary body. But in September, Gelgi finally took to the skies. In an Instagram post a few weeks later, she shared photos from her trip with Turkish Airlines, which was made possible after the airlines removed several seats on the plane so Gelgi could rest comfortably on a stretcher during the trip from Istanbul to California, lasting 13 hours. . “A flawless journey from start to finish,” Gelgi said on Instagram, praising Turkish Airlines’ staff and medical staff for their work. Gelgi said that although it was her first plane ride, it “definitely won’t be my last.” In her photos, Gelgi can be seen receiving VIP treatment, chatting with smiling staff on the plane and enjoying a first-class meal. Gelgi, who is a computer programmer as well as a public defender, says she spends her time in San Francisco working with Guinness World Records. CNN has reached out to Turkish Airlines and Guinness World Records for comment.
MAKING AIR TRAVEL MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
Gelgi’s recent trip highlights the growing awareness of airline accessibility for people with physical differences and disabilities. Historically, air travel has been at best inconvenient for such travelers and at worst abusive and painful. CNN spoke with Linda Ristagno, Assistant Director of External Affairs at the International Air Transport Association, which sets global standards for air travel. Ristagno, who recently received the Open Doors Professional Access Award for her work, described what kind of global and structural efforts are being made to improve accessibility for all travelers. “We are committed to ensuring that all passengers can enjoy the freedom of air travel and expect standards [among participating airlines and airports] to be consistent so that the same level of assistance is offered to everyone,” he said. Ristagno says a recent meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency, produced a historic resolution that will better allow different parts of the industry to work together to improve accessibility. “This resolution encourages governments to work with airlines and disability organizations, and all stakeholders, including disabled travelers, to find solutions,” he said. One of the biggest priorities that this resolution can help is the principle of “universal design”, in which accessibility is built into the very structure of buildings and mechanisms, rather than being treated as an addition or modification. In addition, Ristagno says industry groups and government agencies are also trying to improve infrastructure and processes around transporting mobility aids such as motorized wheelchairs — a particular pain point when it comes to accessible travel. “At the root of the challenges airlines face in loading and safely storing mobility aids are few designed with air transport in mind,” he explains. “This becomes even more difficult as mobility aids increase in size, complexity and weight. There is a risk of injury when transporting them and a risk of device damage.” By looking at the issue from all angles, air travel groups such as IATA, ICAO and participating parties can explore long-term solutions, including design improvements that allow for easier navigation in airports and airplanes, and even better designed mobility aids. “There is an inherent incentive to raise standards as these passengers represent a growing segment of demand for air travel,” Ristagno said. “Also, disability is a medical term. But accessibility is a social term. We want to make sure we’re accessible for everyone.”
