DOT looks to make air travel more accessible

Rules proposal aims to hold airlines accountable

“It’s an important part of how we change the way that airlines operate and change the way that travelers with disabilities can move around the country and around the world.” Pete Buttigieg Transportation Secretary

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg unveiled a new proposal Thursday aimed at improving air travel for passengers with disabilities.

Under the proposed rule set forth by the Department of Transportation, airlines would be mandated to adhere to stringent standards, guaranteeing prompt and dignified assistance for passengers with disabilities. Enhanced training protocols for airline staff (and their contractors), coupled with specified actions to safeguard passengers and their wheelchairs during transport, aim to underscore the DOT’s commitment to passenger safety and accessibility.

“It’s an important part of how we change the way that airlines operate and change the way that travelers with disabilities can move around the country and around the world,” Buttigieg said during a call with media. “This news compliments a range of actions by the Biden-Harris administration to make transportation more accessible, including launching the first Bill of Rights for airline passengers with disabilities and publishing a final rule that will increase the size and accessibility of airplane bathrooms.”

The proposed rule would cover wheelchairs and assistive devices as defined by the DOT, like crutches, canes, walkers, prosthetics, and hearing aids, among others.

During USA TODAY’s yearlong series highlighting the people behind airline damage to wheelchairs, over 30 respondents said some version of the phrase “breaking my wheelchair is like breaking my legs.”

What does the proposed rule tackle?

⬤ Penalties for mishandling wheelchairs, and other assistive devices: The proposal would make those mishandlings an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act, allowing DOT to “more easily penalize airlines and hold them accountable when a passenger’s mobility device is damaged.” It would also require airlines to promptly repair or replace damaged wheelchairs and provide a loaner.

⬤ Safe assistance: The rule would require enhanced airline employee and airline contractor training that includes hands-on training, for those who physically assist passengers with mobility disabilities or handle passengers’ wheelchairs. This includes the prompt return of a delayed wheelchair to the passenger’s final destination within 24 hours.

⬤ Improved standards on planes: The rule proposes improved performance standards for onboard wheelchairs on twin-aisle aircraft and small aircraft and notifications after loading and unloading a wheelchair.

“This is about making sure that both the physical safety of passengers and the physical condition of mobility devices are contemplated and dignified,” Buttigieg added.

The announcement has already garnered widespread support from Assistant to the President Stephen Benjamin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., disability advocates, aviation workers, and stakeholders convening for a discussion at the White House.

“This is really about helping passengers be better empowered to make use of the rights and protections that they already have,” asserted Buttigieg.

The proposed rule will be seeking comments from the public for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.