Black and white image of people seated at a CCDC event listening to a speaker

Tell the U.S. Department of Transportation to Improve Airline Travel

Tell the U.S. Department of Transportation to Improve Airline Travel

Black and white image of people seated at a CCDC event listening to a speaker

Dear Community,

On February 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released proposed changes to the Air Carrier Access Act rules that would improve the air travel experience for people with mobility impairments. This proposal is in response to a request by Paralyzed Veterans of America and the DOT’s March 24, 2022, meeting with wheelchair users about the problems they face during air travel, in light of the untimely death of disability rights advocate Engracia Figueroa just a few months prior. We now need you to send your comments about these proposed changes to the DOT.

The changes proposed by the DOT include several vital steps that would improve the air travel experience for people with disabilities. They would

  • Clarify airlines’ obligations and responsibilities to individuals with disabilities;
  • Better enforce violations and administrative penalties onto airlines that mishandle assistive devices;
  • Improve airline processes for returning, repairing, and replacing mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, to include informing those users about the location of their device during transit and allowing them to choose their own repair company if their device is damaged.
  • Mandate critical routine hands-on training to all airline staff and contractors who physically assist disabled passengers or handle battery-powered assistive devices.

The disability community needs to let the DOT know that we need improved access to air travel for people who use wheelchairs and scooters—now! That is why we need YOUR HELP to keep #PushingAccessForward in air travel.

ACTIONS TO TAKE NOW TODAY:

  • Leave comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and let the DOT know why it’s important to have safe and dignified access in air travel. Let them know it’s #JustPlaneWrong for wheelchair and scooter users to be injured trying to get on or off of airplanes or have their devices lost, damaged, stolen, or delayed.
    1. Tell them why better training is needed to stop injuries and wheelchair and scooter damage.
    2. Explain why you need a damaged wheelchair or scooter fixed or replaced as soon as possible to maintain your health and independence.
  • Highlight this problem on social media and encourage your family and friends to do the same. Be sure to include #JustPlaneWrong, #TravelWithDignity, #Flightmares, and #PushingAccessForward in all posts to amplify awareness.
  • Send your air travel story to your Congressional representatives and ask them to ensure that the final version of this year’s FAA Reauthorization includes provisions that will further improve the air travel experience of passengers with disabilities. Such provisions should include, at a minimum, better data collection and analysis, improved complaint processing, continued study into the ability of passengers to fly while seated in their wheelchairs, and improved disability access standards: https://www.votervoice.net/PVA/Campaigns/102729/Respond.
  • Submit your air travel stories to air-access.org and encourage others to do the same. Also, share them on social media with#JustPlaneWrong, #TravelWithDignity, and #Flightmares and tag the DOT, your congressional representatives, and the airline trade associations (listed below). Be sure to include photos, videos, and graphics about your experience if you have them.