Action Alert: Make Airlines Accountable to Disabled Travelers! (by Jamie Davis Smith)
A teenage girl sits in her adapted stroller. She is in an airport, the windows behind her showing blue sky and a boarding chute. A sign in front of her gives instructions for carry-on luggage.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed new regulations that, if adopted, will grant a number of new rights for to disabled passengers on airlines, particularly those who use wheelchairs. These changes are long overdue. Your voice is important! The public comment period ends on April 27.
Our disabled loved ones deserve to fly with dignity and safety. Too often, wheelchairs are damaged or even lost by airlines. Too often, airlines do not give disabled passengers enough information on wheelchair accommodations on planes and assistance with boarding.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants to change that. If adopted, these new regulations would give disabled passengers the following rights to:
Choose their own provider to repair or replace wheelchairs that have been mishandled by the airport or airline;
Ensure the prompt return of delayed wheelchairs;
Receive prompt assistance when disembarking;
Have their wheelchair waiting near the airplane’s exit door;
Be notified immediately if their wheelchair does not fit on an aircraft;
Require annual training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with mobility disabilities and those who handle passengers’ wheelchairs; and
Make it easier for the Department of Transportation to fine airlines that violate the rights of disabled passengers.
Make your voice heard! Submitting comments only takes a couple of minutes. Click here to voice your support for these regulations. If you or a loved one has experienced difficulty flying, share your story about what would make flying a safer and more dignified experience for you.
If you think the regulations should go further, such as by requiring accessible bathrooms on planes or adult changing tables in airport bathrooms, share that as well.
Learn more about the proposed regulations in this story I wrote for AFAR magazine. Submit your comments no later than April 27th!
Jamie Davis Smith is a mother of four who lives in Washington, DC. She is an attorney, writer and disability rights advocate.