Disabled man ‘booted off’ flight after dispute over his wheelchair aid

A man was removed from a flight over his wheelchair aid (Picture: Shane Hryhorec) A wheelchair user was removed from his flight home over a disability aid after an ‘undignified’ confrontation with airline staff. Shane Hryhorec, an activist and travel blogger, was flying with Virgin Australia when new restrictions proved problematic for his wheelchair aid. He was preparing to fly from Sydney to Adelaide but ended up in a 20-minute back-and-forth with crew, grounding takeoff for the rest of the passengers. Hryhorec, 41, is a C5 incomplete quadriplegic, with paralysis in his legs and torso, as well as impact on his hand function. He uses a battery-powered removable SmartDrive device to push his wheelchair, allowing him to travel without someone pushing him. However, due to new restrictions on