In March, when I was still 68 and my wife 64, we walked from the tram station to T3 with 1 x20 kg pull along, a 7 kg camera bag on my back and my wife with a 10kg pull along plus handbag. No problem. It isn't ideal and there are undoubted difficulties for people with health problems but it is no worse, or even better, than being dropped by the transit bus from a remote stand at Frankfurt at the A gate entrance and having to get to the Z gates which the bus has passed without the option to stop. Try the uphill and down dale arrival from some gates and remote stands at Heathrow T5. Try it as a woman with two under fives, even worse, transfer to the new T2 from T5. There are dozens of similar situations at large airports around the world. Try getting from the Central bus station at Heathrow to T4 and T5. Yes there are trains, but also an awful lot of walking.
Whichever standpoint you are coming from - regular Manchester based moaner or one of the 'let's knock Manchester brigade' you need to realise as airports grow it isn't always possible to link various points around terminals without a hike. Until the human race perfects teleportation we are going to be stuck with it.