Passenger with Down Syndrome Barred from Flight

Hopping across the pond a bit to shed light on discrimination against those with developmental disabilities.

LONDON-A 12-year-old British girl was denied passage on a British Airways flight for having Down syndrome, supposedly per airline policy.

Airline staff refused to sell a plane ticket to Alice Saunders for an unaccompanied trip from London's Gatwick Airport to Glasgow. Her mother, Heather Saunders, was told it was company policy to not accept young passengers with Down syndrome flying alone.

Heather Saunders tried to make her daughter's reservation via phone.

"I explained I wanted her to travel as an unaccompanied minor, she was 12 years old, she had Down syndrome and was very independent," she told the Daily Mail.

However, according to the mother, the customer service agent said company policy would not allow it because of problems incurred in the past.

Heather Saunders further revealed that, according to the representative, had she not told the airline about Alice at the time of booking, she would have been turned away at the gate.

Kaspar the Friendly Robot Helping Children

OK, so I'm straying from the U.S. going across the Atlantic, but this story is too good to pass up.

Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions and physical contact — and now she hugs everyone.
"She's a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even initiate the embrace," said Claire Sawczenko, Eden's mother.