A WOMAN claims an airport security agent refused to let her disabled sister on board a plane because she couldn’t say her own name.

Sherry Wright says she was shocked at the treatment they received at Los Angeles International Airport, where her sister Heidi was due to fly to Phoenix.

The problems began when Heidi, who was left wheelchair-bond and unable to speak or write after a stroke a decade ago, was stopped by the Transport Security Administration (TSA) due to an expired driver’s licence, CNN reported.

Sherry claims the TSA agent was rude and insensitive, insisting Heidi talk.

“I showed her ID, her social and her DMV (licence) papers,” Sherry said, to no avail.

“He just wanted me to make my sister talk, and I couldn’t believe it.

“I was just standing there, tears were coming out and I was like, ‘Are you serious? We can’t get her to talk’.”

TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez told ABC7 that it regrets the incident.

“I think it could have been handled differently by the TSA and it probably could have been handled differently by the family, and hopefully moving forward the family won’t have this problem again, because they know about the programs that we have in place,” Melendez said.

Heidi had to take an eight-hour bus trip to get to Phoenix. She has filed a complaint to US Homeland Security.

news.com.au has contacted the TSA for further comment.