{"id":4601,"date":"2025-10-01T16:16:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T06:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.melbasupport.com.au\/?p=4601"},"modified":"2026-06-13T16:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:33:08","slug":"melba-response-to-virgin-australia-refusing-wheelchair-access-twice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.melbasupport.com.au\/latest-news\/melba-response-to-virgin-australia-refusing-wheelchair-access-twice\/","title":{"rendered":"Melba response to Virgin Australia refusing wheelchair access &#8211; twice"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4601\" class=\"elementor elementor-4601\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-793eed3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"793eed3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cf170fb e-con-full home-banner e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7cf170fb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36be888a elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-laptop__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet_extra__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"36be888a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Melba response to Virgin Australia refusing wheelchair access &#8211; twice<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-410c37f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"410c37f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-f88c87c elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time> 1 October 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17f090a8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"17f090a8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7eb013ee e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7eb013ee\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3432f15f link elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3432f15f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Statement from CEO Hayley Dean in response to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewdaily.com.au\/news\/people\/2025\/10\/01\/disability-advocates-virgin-australia\">reports<\/a>\u00a0Virgin Australia recently refused, in separate incidents, to allow two people using wheelchairs to board its aircraft at Melbourne Airport.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stories like these are deeply disappointing, but sadly, they are not surprising. Too often, people with disability encounter barriers that should no longer exist \u2013 barriers that exclude, frustrate and send a message that accessibility is optional.<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin has said it \u201cregrets these experiences\u201d, but regret is not enough. What\u00a0<em>actions<\/em>\u00a0are being taken to ensure this never happens again?<\/p>\n<p>Accessibility is not an act of goodwill \u2013 it\u2019s a human right. Every person deserves to travel, participate and move through the world without being excluded or humiliated.<\/p>\n<p>When systems and services fail to meet the needs of people with disability, it\u2019s not an individual issue, it\u2019s a systemic one and this is why listening to people with lived experience is critical. Airlines and other service providers must work\u00a0<em>with<\/em>\u00a0people with disability to design inclusive policies and practices that work in real life, not just on paper.<\/p>\n<p>Accessibility shouldn\u2019t depend on who\u2019s on duty or what airport you happen to be at that day. It should be consistent, reliable and embedded in everyday practice, not left to chance.<\/p>\n<p>I urge all industries to review their policies, seek advice from people with lived experience and make accessibility a non-negotiable part of how they operate. True equality is not about exceptions, it\u2019s about ensuring everyone belongs, everywhere.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-340b3f87 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"340b3f87\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3babb901 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3babb901\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3da54d82 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3da54d82\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Share<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ba090c elementor-share-buttons--view-icon elementor-share-buttons--skin-flat elementor-share-buttons--shape-circle elementor-share-buttons--color-custom elementor-grid-0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-share-buttons\" data-id=\"8ba090c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"share-buttons.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid\" role=\"list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_facebook\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fab-facebook\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.78 90.69 226.38 209.25 245V327.69h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.31 482.38 504 379.78 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_linkedin\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fab-linkedin\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_email\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on email\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-envelope\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M502.3 190.8c3.9-3.1 9.7-.2 9.7 4.7V400c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V195.6c0-5 5.7-7.8 9.7-4.7 22.4 17.4 52.1 39.5 154.1 113.6 21.1 15.4 56.7 47.8 92.2 47.6 35.7.3 72-32.8 92.3-47.6 102-74.1 131.6-96.3 154-113.7zM256 320c23.2.4 56.6-29.2 73.4-41.4 132.7-96.3 142.8-104.7 173.4-128.7 5.8-4.5 9.2-11.5 9.2-18.9v-19c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48H48C21.5 64 0 85.5 0 112v19c0 7.4 3.4 14.3 9.2 18.9 30.6 23.9 40.7 32.4 173.4 128.7 16.8 12.2 50.2 41.8 73.4 41.4z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Statement from CEO Hayley Dean in response to reports Virgin Australia recently refused to allow two people using wheelchairs to board its aircraft at Melbourne Airport.\u00a0<br \/>\n&#8220;Accessibility is not an act of goodwill \u2013 it\u2019s a human right,&#8221; she says. &#8220;Every person deserves to travel without being excluded or humiliated.&#8221; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":4612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Melba response to Virgin Australia refusing wheelchair access - twice | Melba Support Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Statement from CEO Hayley Dean in response to reports Virgin Australia recently refused to allow two people using wheelchairs to board its aircraft at Melbourne Airport.\u00a0 &quot;Accessibility is not an act of goodwill \u2013 it\u2019s a human right,&quot; she says. &quot;Every person deserves to travel without 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