The FAA Reauthorization Act, which was signed into law this month, includes several provisions designed to better accommodate travelers with disabilities. (think stock)
People with disabilities are set to see big improvements when traveling by air thanks to a series of changes included in a massive reauthorization of federal aviation programs.
The measure signed by President Joe Biden this month includes new requirements for airline workers who assist wheelchair users, accessibility improvements at airports and the enforcement of rules that protect the rights of travelers with disabilities.
The law requires airline workers to receive training before helping passengers board with an aisle chair or before storing wheelchairs and other mobility devices. It also requires that airline websites, apps and kiosks be accessible and specifies that the Federal Aviation Administration must reconsider aircraft evacuation procedures to ensure that all passengers can disembark quickly in the event of an emergency.
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The legislation gives people with disabilities the option of requesting seats on planes so they can be with a companion, have more legroom or be close to a bathroom, for example. Additionally, lawmakers took steps to ensure people know they can reserve wheelchairs on board.
All medium and large airports will be required to install or maintain at least one universal changing station, designed to allow caregivers to help people of all sizes who cannot use the bathroom, in each terminal and post signs about the location of these stations. exchange. The law also establishes a new pilot program that provides grants to airports to improve accessibility.
Meanwhile, the legislation requires the Secretary of Transportation to present a “strategic roadmap” to Congress within a year on the feasibility of restricting wheelchairs on commercial airplanes. If the idea is deemed feasible, the secretary would have two years to produce a report studying the economic and financial implications of arranging seating that can accommodate wheelchairs in flight.
The measure “represents the most significant effort by Congress in more than a decade to make flying safer, easier and more accessible for passengers with disabilities,” said U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who uses a wheelchair. wheelchairs and defended many of the disability provisions.
Steve Cullen, chairman of the board of All Wheels Up, a nonprofit that has funded research into the inclusion of wheelchairs on airplanes, said it is significant that Congress has specified that training for workers who Help with aisle chairs must instruct employees on “how to communicate effectively and take direction from the passenger.”
“When traveling by air, passengers who use wheelchairs assume greater personal risks than the average traveler due in large part to the need to make a physical transfer,” Cullen said. “To protect the health, safety and personal dignity of passengers, airport and airline staff who assist wheelchair users should be trained on standards of care and best practices, including listening to the disabled passenger about what works for their well-being.
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