How airport staff shortages inspired a grandfather to invent a carry-on wheelchair that doubles as luggage
A grandfather who was sick of waiting on planes for assistance for his disabled wife has used his expertise as a chartered engineer to design a carry-on transit wheelchair which is now being made commercially.
Management consultant Richard Williams, 63, was spurred into action after a holiday in Malaysia with his wife Jane, 64, who has cerebral palsy – a lifelong condition affecting movement and co-ordination – ended badly when they were left on a deserted plane at the UK airport waiting for help.
Recalling their experience in the early morning on March 1, 2019, Richard, of Belper, Derbyshire, said: “Winter sun is good for Jane, so we’d headed off to Malaysia and come back on the overnight 13-hour flight.
“Like any of the other passengers, at 5.30am you’re just ready to get home. But we were stuck on the plane for 45 minutes – just us and another man in first class waiting for assistance.”
Richard added: “While we waited, the crew couldn’t get off. The cleaners couldn’t come on. We were all just waiting.
“Eventually, I was so fed up I got off the plane, had a look around the airport and found an abandoned wheelchair. I got back on and helped Jane off the plane myself.
“We’d had a cracking trip, but it was soured. I realised then that it shouldn’t be so difficult. I knew I’d had enough and had to do something about it.”
Richard’s recollections tally with a new Civil Aviation Authority report telling airports to address “unacceptable” failings affecting disabled people and warning it could use legal enforcement powers if they continue.
Citing “significant service failings,” it details incidents where passengers needing assistance have been taken off a plane hours after other people.
Meanwhile, married for 40 years, Richard and Jane, a former nursing assistant for people with disabilities, who have two adult children and one grandchild, say they have been dealing with this issue for decades.
They love to travel, but Jane’s disability – which occurred after she was starved of oxygen when she was born well after her twin sister – means she can only walk short distances, can struggle to communicate clearly and tires easily.
Despite these challenges, they have explored Europe, South East Asia, Australia and America together.
But the 2019 airport delays finally spurred Richard into action as he became determined to design his wife a special carry-on wheelchair.
Armed with a successful prototype earlier on this year he took his product to market, calling it the Traveller Chair – a combined wheelchair, walker and travel case.
Richard said: “I built the first version on the patio at home.
“I asked Jane to sit in it and give me her honest opinion and she said, ‘It’s absolutely cr*p!’”
He added: “I’d not invented a product personally before, but I’m a chartered engineer and have been working in management for the manufacturing industry for years, so I’ve always looked for solutions to overcome problems.
“So, I just kept thinking back over the problems we’d face in airports and how to solve them.
“I kept going through several iterations. It’s not rocket science, but it is an ingenious mechanism, getting a chair to fold down into carry-on size. The whole point is for you to be able to carry it on to a plane, so there would be no need to wait for assistance getting off.
