Suffering from multiple sclerosis since the age of 28, Dominique Farrugia uses a wheelchair. Thursday October 24, 2024, he faced a humiliating situation.
“Live my life as a person with reduced mobility. At Orly 3, a Transavia ground stewardess who sees me with my electric wheelchair says looking at me: 'What is that?'. I try to answer and She said to me: 'I'm not talking to you. I want to speak to someone responsible'“he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In the comments section, Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France regional council, was one of the first to react: “Dear Dominique,
dismayed by this desperate humiliation… I who hoped that the Olympics had changed the outlook (opened the eyes?) of all French people! I'm sure you didn't let yourself get carried away…”.
Dominique Farrugia received an apology
Very quickly, the airline replied: “Hello Mr. Farrugia. We are sorry for the abnormal situation that occurred this morning which does not reflect our values.
Transavia reminds that it ensures the good reception of people with reduced mobility through a dedicated service at the time of booking and close coordination with airport teams for reception on the day of travel..
While Transavia is carrying out an internal investigation in order to
“understand the situation precisely and make appropriate decisions“the actor and director spoke again a few hours later. “It was a person who spoke badly to me. We cannot condemn all of the staff. In France, we need to train people to welcome PRMs. Thank you all for your support”he added to conclude.
Isabelle Saporta: “We have regressed to the very bottom of the scale of humanity”
In her editorial, on RTL, journalist Isabelle Saporta uttered a rant. “Frankly, what was the point of having a successful Paralympic Games, with incredible events, fantastic athletes and a super emotional closing ceremony, only to behave like fools as soon as the podium lights went out? It's not just during the Games that we have consideration for people with disabilities. Respect is all year round!”she exclaimed.
Believing that to do “big shows, there are lots of people”she added: “To improve the daily lives of people with disabilities, there is no one left“. Finally, she blurted out: “If the dignity of a society is measured by the way it treats its children, its seniors, its sick and its people with disabilities, with what happened to Dominique Farrugia, we have regressed to the very bottom of the scale of humanity. And it's really a shame..
