A left-leaning executive at Ford has sparked outrage after boasting online about mocking a disabled man who was watching Fox News on a flight. This comes as the executive, Barrett Evans, Ford’s Chief Learning Officer, made a significant blunder regarding the true meaning of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).
In a controversial Threads post, Evans recounted how he spotted a disabled man watching Fox News for the entirety of a flight from San Diego. Upon deplaning, Evans approached the man with a quip about DEI, targeting the individual for his choice of news channel.
“Elderly passenger on my flight from San Diego yesterday enjoyed Fox ‘News’ for the entire ride,” Evans shared. “Deplaning and I notice he and his wife getting into their airport wheelchairs to be pushed to the next gate. My filter was malfunctioning…”
He continued, asserting, “Love to see you supporting DEI,” to which the gentleman replied, “Not me!”
Evans then attempted to ‘educate’ the passenger on how he was supposedly benefiting from DEI, referencing the wheelchair assistance provided, which is actually mandated by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), not an example of DEI.
“Yes – you,” Evans stated. “That wheelchair and the human pushing it are provided at no direct cost to you – rather by a subsidized cost attributed to every passenger in this airport. Provided to level the playing field – for you.”
He elaborated further, confusedly linking the ACAA with DEI principles:
Not all passengers need assistance. But for those who do—for whatever reason—the service ensures they can access the airport, navigate security, and board their plane safely and with dignity. The cost being shared ensures that the service is available to those who need it, not just those who could afford to pay extra. This is a real-world infrastructure of equity in action: acknowledging that different people have different needs and creating systems to support those differences fairly.
Evans’ misunderstanding is glaring, as the ACAA, established in 1986, specifically prohibits discrimination against disabled airline passengers. Furthermore, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed four years later, solidifying accessibility standards in public spaces, including wheelchair access.
DEI initiatives, by contrast, are intended to foster supposedly inclusive environments within organizations, often including provisions for people with disabilities. However, these efforts do not replace the legal mandates of the ADA, which require physical accessibility.
