Paraplegic man claims he was ‘humiliated’ after being forced to CRAWL to his seat on Delta plane as flight attendants refused to help him

A paralyzed man claimed he was 'humiliated' after being forced to crawl to his seat on a Delta plane because flight attendants refused to help him.

Sean Chang, who is wheelchair-bound, flew from Hartsfield-Jackson-Atlanta International Airport to Los Angeles on Nov. 3 on an 8:45 a.m. flight. After being delayed at the security line with only ten minutes left before takeoff, he says he couldn't get the help he needed.

Chang said he requested an aisle seat and assistance to help him board, but learned the airline could not accommodate him.

“I was told, 'Hey, there's no aisle seat ready for you,'” Chang said USA today.

He added that an agent told him the airline never received his special request for wheelchair assistance. They told him he could take a later flight or travel on the departing flight.

Chang, who stops eating and drinking 24 hours before the flight, said the delay would have been too long and felt he had no other option to take the flight.

He described the ordeal as 'extremely humiliating… especially when you're lying on the ground and everyone is sitting above you and looking down.'

Emily Pitchford, a spokesperson for Delta, told DailyMail.com they were aware of the incident and said their policy allows passengers to decide how to board if assistance is not available.

The spokesperson said that in Chang's case, he arrived at the gate 10 minutes before departure and determined the customer had not requested special assistance to board flight DL838 from ATL to LAX.

“Although Delta employees offered to put the customer on a direct flight less than 1.5 hours later so he could receive proper boarding assistance, the customer chose to board the plane himself,” she said.

Chang, unwilling to wait for the next flight that would provide him with the assistance he had initially requested, was the one who “suggested” to the officer that he crawl to his seat.

The spokesman said he was seated in the main cabin, also known as economy, in row 17C, an aisle seat.

Chang told USA Today, “We need to make sure that people with disabilities have rights, equal rights.”

The airline said they want their disabled passengers to board safely and with dignity.

Their staff is trained to trust the customer to tell the airline staff how best to help them make their travel experience as enjoyable as possible.

The spokesperson said the airline has staff at every airport to assist disabled passengers and said no violation occurred because Chang chose how to board the flight.

Although Delta gave Chang a refund for the price he paid for the flight, along with extra miles and vouchers, he told USA Today that airlines should face stiffer fines if disabled customers are inconvenienced.

Delta advises before departure: customers arrive at the airport two hours before the departure of a domestic flight and three hours before the departure of an international flight.

The Fly Delta app is a tool we encourage travelers to use.

“Customers who require mobility assistance or additional services during their trip can easily share this information prior to their trip by tapping the 'Accessible Services' button in the Fly Delta app,” the spokesperson said.

She said this is in addition to the options available when booking on delta.com or over the phone.

Chang told the news station, “I wanted to be compensated for something you can't put a price on.”