“You’re not a doctor and even if you are a doctor, you’re not my clinician so you haven’t got a clue,” said Matthew Campbell-Hill, chair of the government’s disabled persons transport advisory committee.

“Don’t challenge us, it ruins people’s holidays," Campbell-Hill told delegates at TTG’s Fairer Travel Diversity Forum on Wednesday (5 July).

Technology and media consultant Campbell-Hill urged delegates to follow British Airways’ example by adding a page to its website setting out what customers should expect from the airline.

“That’s really helpful because I know whether or not I can travel with them as they set it out with a really clear and really nice language,” he said.

Former wheelchair fencer Campbell-Hill said air travel posed the most problems for people with motor disabilities due to the frequency of incidents involving wheelchairs, revealing his had been broken three times in the past 10 years. “There’s an element of ‘stuff happens’ – [but] it just happens a lot,” he said.

Campbell-Hill’s comments came after the government last week announced plans for "full and fair" compensation for wheelchairs damaged on domestic and international flights, with airlines not currently required to cover the full costs of repairs.

He said travel professionals could do their bit and become better allies by not supporting businesses that are not accessible to people with disabilities. “If you’re going to a venue and you suddenly realise it’s not accessible, ask them – check if they do have an accessible way. If they do, fine, if they don’t – leave.”