This issue's never going away. But fair enough though, definitely an OHS issue. The same goes for elderly people that need assistance ie Dementia patients, blind passengers etc.
It is all too easy to jump up and down and yell discrimination, but common sense should tell you it's a response to safety. No cost cutting there. The people in the article are disabled athletes, obviously who are more able bodied than the majority of disabled people flying.
How about some of the smaller aircraft without slides of F/A's, you'd have to just about carry elderly and disabled people off in an emergency risking breakages and possiblity of injury. Legal nightmare. Compassion sure but safety first.
VB perhaps should have a reduced rate for carers etc on board.