A deaf lawyer and disability rights advocate, Barr. Catherine Ede, has accused officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, of discrimination and inhumane treatment after she was prevented from boarding an Air Peace flight despite possessing a valid boarding pass.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has sparked outrage among disability rights advocates, with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Enugu State Chapter, and other disability groups demanding an investigation and sanctions against those involved.
Ede alleged that she arrived at the airport to board an 8:30 a.m. Air Peace flight from Enugu to Abuja but was denied access to the aircraft after airport personnel questioned the authenticity of her hearing impairment.
According to her, one airport official openly accused her of pretending to be deaf and refused to communicate with her despite her disability.
"I just missed my Air Peace 8:30 a.m. Enugu to Abuja flight at the Enugu Airport. The whole stigma thing from the airport staff stinks. One even told me to my face in the most disdainful way that I'm not deaf, that I'm faking it. That, in particular, broke me," she said.
