Person with Cerebral Palsy ejected from US Airways flight

Motivational Speaker and “Handicapitalist” Johnnie Tuitel was recently ejected from a US Airways flight for being “too disabled to fly” without a companion. Johnnie has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility. He had been seated when an US Airways agent at the West Palm Beach Airport in Florida confronted him.

"[A gate agent] told me I could fly on US Airways if I could find a companion to go with me because I was a danger to myself and others if something went wrong," Johnnie says.

Johnnie was told then that the plane could not begin takeoff because he was “too disabled” to fly.

In his career, Johnnie has flown over half a million miles to speak at conferences like The National Self Advocacy Conference, as well as schools and corporations, including Amway Corporation.

A 47-year-old Grand Rapids, MI native, Johnnie was the first student in Michigan to move from a special needs school to a typical developing school under Public Law PL 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. He coined the term Handicapitalism, a philosophy of advocacy, economic participation, and giving back to the community.

“I was raised to believe I could grow up doing what I wanted to do and it didn't lead me to any entitlement.” He recalls. “By them denying me the ability to fly, I couldn't do my job.”