• Maayan Ziv was traveling from Toronto to Tel Aviv last week for an accessibility conference.
• Her $40,000 specialized wheelchair was damaged on her Air Canada flight. 
• The airline agreed to replace the wheelchair but a new one will take months to be delivered.

Maayan Ziv was prepared for problems handling her specialized wheelchair on a flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to attend a conference on accessibility in transport and tourism.

Ziv, who was born with muscular dystrophy, told Insider she brought a duffel bag of bubble wrap to protect the $40,000 wheelchair before checking it in.

“I’ve had my wheelchairs damaged and I’ve been without wheelchairs for months in the past because of airline negligence,” she said. “So this is not something I’m new to, but you kind of hope for the best.” 

After getting the wheelchair back in Tel Aviv following her 10-hour flight on Air Canada, Ziv realized it had been damaged despite her best efforts but was not approached by any airline or airport staff.

“It was up to us to basically be funnel-led through to baggage claims at the airport and file a claim as if someone had lost their suitcase,” she said.

Ziv initially was offered a $300 voucher by Air Canada, which she thought could be sent to anyone filing a complaint about lost luggage. 

“This just added fuel to the fire,” Ziv said. “The difference here is that I’m not talking about some clothing or personal items. I’m literally talking about my mobility and independence. And they treated it like luggage, literally in the luggage department.”

Ziv said her wheelchair has an extender device to help her reach for items, and tilts to allow her to relieve pressure and cost about $40,000.  

After an email exchange, Air Canada agreed to pay for a replacement. However, it takes months for such wheelchairs to be ordered and delivered.

Insider contacted the airline for comment. 

Until the replacement arrives, Ziv said she has been left in severe pain without access to her specialized wheelchair that she uses all day every day.

The tech entrepreneur, who was named one of Canada’s 40 under 40 last year, was also left to deal with the loss of business due to the disruption. 

“This has put a permanent stall on the next six months. That’s it – that’s just how it is,” Ziv said.