Disabled passengers

[candoo]

Was on an Airbus A319 last week and had a window seat, plane was full and prior to boarding was advised that in my row the aisle seat was occupied by a wheelchair dependent person who had lost the use of their legs.

This somewhat surprised me, what would the procedure be in an emergency, climb over, assist person by carrying, leap forward to the next seat?

It is a touchy subject but something just struck me as wrong about the whole seating arrangement especially as the disabled person boarded first and myself and centre seat passenger had to clamber over the person to be seated and de-plane.

Surely carriers could allocate seats more appropriately?

[nicolai]

Easyjet use a window seat

Easyjet seem to use, for the first disabled passenger group to board, the front right window seat which is easier to get into and has more legroom, and is not classed as an exit row because their high-density configuration (on an A319) has a bulkhead in front of the seat. The front right aisle seat is an exit row seat so that position can only be used by someone who is suitable for an exit row.
Not all seat and galley aircraft layouts have this possibility.
The crew do have to balance the problems of getting past the disabled person, compared with the disabled person finding it difficult or impossible to get into a non-aisle seat.

[lexxity]

A wheelchair charlie category should be seated in a window seat unless accompanied by a carer who is prepared to sit in the window seat and agree to having their row essentially blocked.

[MountainGirl]

I can think of at least one airline that highlights aisle seats on its seat reservation pages as being the most suitable for those of limited mobility.