wheelchair

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American Airlines Hit With $50M Fine Over Disabled Fliers

It's a record payout over injuring passengers, damaging wheelchairs

(Newser) - The nation's largest airline has been hit with a $50 million fine for repeatedly violating rules intended to protect passengers with disabilities. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the fine against American Airlines on Wednesday, saying it was 25 times larger than any other fine issued by the Department of...

Airline CEO Calls Out Fliers' 'Massive' Abuse of Wheelchairs

Passengers are requesting them just to get priority boarding, says Frontier's Barry Biffle

(Newser) - Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle joked Thursday that his company is "healing so many people" who require wheelchairs at boarding, yet walk off the plane just fine. "There is massive, rampant abuse of special services. There are people using wheelchair assistance who don't need it at all,...

Looks Like This Veteran Didn't Need His Wheelchair After All

Prosecutors say New Hampshire's Christopher Stultz lied about disability to get $660K in benefits

(Newser) - A New Hampshire veteran has admitted to faking his need for a wheelchair for 20 years to claim more than $660,000 in benefits he wasn't entitled to. Christopher Stultz, 49, of Antrim pleaded guilty in US District Court on Thursday to one count of making false statements. He...

Debate Organizers Thrown by Candidate's Wheelchair

Paul Hinds, running for reelection on Denver's City Council, says he had to crawl onto debate stage

(Newser) - A debate this week in Denver for a City Council seat is making headlines not for the debate itself, but for what one candidate calls his "humiliating" experience as he tried to participate. The Denver Post reports that the event was held Monday at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, a...

Cop Fatally Shoots Man in Motorized Scooter From Behind

Police chief says Officer Ryan Remington will be fired

(Newser) - The Tucson Police Department has swiftly distanced itself from an officer who shot dead a man in a motorized wheelchair. Police Chief Chris Magnus said on Tuesday he was "deeply disturbed and troubled" by what transpired on Monday night: Officer Ryan Remington responded to a report of a man...

Amid Lofty Goals, a More Earthly Snub
Amid Lofty Goals,
a More Earthly Snub
the rundown
Nov 2, 2021 10:05 AM CDT

Amid Lofty Goals, a More Earthly Snub

Israeli minister was shut out of climate meetings because forum wasn't wheelchair accessible

(Newser) - The world climate summit continues in Scotland, and the coverage of COP26 is wide-ranging. A sample:
  • Rejoining: The US has formally rejoined a group known as the High Ambition Coalition at the climate talks, reports the Guardian . The group, made up of developed and developing countries, will push for nations
...

Miscue in Final Mile Costs Racer $50K

Marcel Hug won the wheelchair division but missed the course record in Boston Marathon

(Newser) - Marcel Hug collected $25,000 Monday as the first-place wheelchair finisher in the Boston Marathon . But as NBC Boston reports, he likely would have collected $75,000 if not for a hiccup in the final mile, one that ruined his chance to set the course record and earn a $50,...

Man Dumped From Wheelchair in Dispute Over Parking Space

Philip Kinstler, who is paralyzed, says his wrist was broken

(Newser) - A California man is facing charges of attempted kidnapping and assault after a Target customer was dumped out of his wheelchair. Philip Kinstler, who has used a wheelchair for 30 years, arrived at the Pleasant Hill store on Jan. 11 to find a vehicle parked in a disabled spot without...

Amtrak Withdraws 'Outrageous' $25K Fee for Wheelchair Users

Access Living employees can now ride for $16 each, as normal

(Newser) - Amtrak has backtracked after telling two wheelchair users they needed to pay $25,000 for a two-hour train ride that normally costs $16 per ticket. NPR first reported on the fee applied to employees of Access Living, a disability service and advocacy center, who hoped to travel from Chicago to...

Unusual Stephen Hawking Memorabilia Up for Auction

His wheelchair can be yours

(Newser) - Stephen Hawking was a cosmic visionary, a figure of inspiration, and a global celebrity. His unique status is reflected in an upcoming auction of some of the late physicist's possessions: It includes complex scientific papers, one of the world's most iconic wheelchairs, and a script from one of...

In Court for His Sentencing Date, Manafort Looked ... Different

He wore prison garb (not his usual suit), and he arrived in a wheelchair, missing one shoe

(Newser) - Paul Manafort was there in a Virginia federal courtroom Friday to hear details on his sentencing, and his appearance seemed markedly different than the last time he was seen in public. NBC News notes the 69-year-old looked "visibly grayer," and that he showed up, in a wheelchair, wearing...

Now in Japan: Drive-Thru Funerals
Now in Japan:
Drive-Thru
Funerals
Sep 10, 2017 1:45 PM CDT

Now in Japan: Drive-Thru Funerals

Aging population is impetus behind move

(Newser) - For those in wheelchairs or with other mobility issues, funerals can be tricky to navigate. And in Japan, where 1.43 million people are expected to die annually by 2020, the need for a solution is pressing, reports the Japan Times . Enter Kankon Sousai Aichi Group, based in central Nagano...

Rowling Sorry for Inaccurate Trump Tweets

Author apologizes to parents of boy she tweeted about

(Newser) - JK Rowling started an uproar when she claimed, via Twitter, that President Trump had refused to shake the hand of a young boy in a wheelchair. That claim turned out not to be true, leading Rowling to delete her original tweets and apologize, Time and the Telegraph report. Rowling's...

Big Surprise for Strangers Who Helped Stranded Wheelchair Racer

Woman they assisted during NYC Marathon was Paralympic gold medalist Zou Lihong

(Newser) - In a New York minute, a Paralympic athlete's distressing experience turned into an inspiring one thanks to a smartphone app and the kindness of strangers. The New York Times reports on the plight of Zou Lihong, a Chinese wheelchair racer who beat US favorite Tatyana McFadden to win gold...

A Wheelchair, a $37K Rolex, and Now a Plea Deal

That's just how Larry Johnson rolls; too bad the jewelry theft didn't pan out

(Newser) - It's not clear whether a watch thief was inspired by the word "roll" in "Rolex," but he didn't get away with his wheelchair scheme either way, pleading guilty Wednesday to charges of robbery, larceny, and assault, the AP reports. Per the Connecticut Post , Larry Johnson...

Kids in Wheelchairs Get a Lego Figure of Their Very Own

'We've got genuine tears of joy right now'

(Newser) - People in wheelchairs now have something in common with astronauts, knights, and pirates: a Lego figure to call their own. NPR reports Lego will release its first figure with disabilities in a set called "Fun at the Park" this June. (The set and figure can be seen in a...

Wheelchair Users Face Much Bigger Risk From Traffic

They're 36% more likely to die in collisions than walkers: study

(Newser) - Pedestrians in wheelchairs are a whopping 36% more likely to die in a traffic collision compared to those out walking, according to a new study that's raising concerns about driver awareness and the availability of crosswalks. Researchers at Georgetown University combed through news articles and data from the National...

Guy Busted for DUI ... on Motorized Wheelchair

Ronny Scott Hicks was allegedly obstructing bridge traffic

(Newser) - Ronny Scott Hicks learned the hard way Monday night that it is, in fact, possible to get arrested for driving under the influence even if you're not in a car. The Florida 54-year-old did so by allegedly riding his motorized wheelchair around Palm Bay while intoxicated, WKMG reports; someone...

Big 'Sex Party' Organized for the Disabled

Toronto organizers say it's about raising awareness

(Newser) - There's going to be a sex party in Toronto this summer—and, in case you were wondering, it'll be wheelchair-accessible. Organizer Stella Palikarova, who has spinal muscular atrophy and advocates for disability awareness, says she's tired of people thinking those with disabilities don't want sex or...

Kanye to Guy in Wheelchair: Stand Up!

Oops. Another fan singled out waves prosthetic leg

(Newser) - Kanye West is gonna let you finish watching his show, just as soon as everyone in the house stands up—a demand that didn't go over quite so well Friday night in Australia, reports the Independent . "I can't do this show until everybody stand up," the...

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