With summer now finally in full swing (for today at least) chances are your thoughts are also meandering to a Fanta Limón and some salted Ruffles after a day in the sun. 

But simple holiday pleasures are being denied to many disabled people due to the terrible treatment they can face when travelling by aeroplane – we’ve all read those awful stories about people being stranded or dehumanised or refused travel and, sadly, they’re not one-off experiences. 

A new documentary by TV presenter Sophie Morgan, herself a wheelchair user who will be hosting the Paralympics in Paris this summer for US channel NBC, aims to shine a light on what many disabled people go through and to call for an overhaul of the airline industry. 

Here’s what to expect. 

What is The Fight To Fly about? 

TV presenter Sophie Morgan arrived at Heathrow last year to discover that her wheelchair and battery pack had been badly damaged: ability to get around was totally taken away from her. It wasn’t a unique experience so she was galvanised into setting up the Rights On Flights campaign to make air travel easier for disabled travellers and to put pressure on airlines to treat them with respect and empathy.

In this sucker-punch documentary Sophie and a group of other disabled users go undercover to expose the extent of the problem. And the results show more damaged wheelchairs and one traveller having to drag himself to the toilet on his hands. 

But she also discovers an invention that could allow disabled wheelchair users to stay in their chairs when flying and makes history by becoming the first female paraplegic to take a flight at zero gravity in the hope it will show that aviation should be accessible for all. 

Here’s hoping the industry is paying close attention and that airlines will no longer be a barrier for disabled people having the same opportunities we take for granted. 

When and where can I watch The Fight to Fly? 

The documentary will be on Channel 4 on Monday night at 9pm. 

Images: Channel 4