The BBC News today posted a short (3 minutes and change) video introducing All Wheels Up and the fight for accessible airplanes to the UK. Here’s the link, since I can’t seem to get the video to work:
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-42231505/one-mum-s-fight-to-get-wheelchairs-on-planes
I managed to miss it, but the Great Lakes ADA Center recently held a “Frontier Accessibility Issues” webinar featuring Michelle Erwin of All Wheels Up. Tune in to see images of a wheelchair user in his chair strapped down in a military cargo plane, the “Scarecrow” airplane built for FDR, and video of wheelchair tiedowns successfully passing a 20G crash test. Captions available.
There’s an article in the latest issue of New Mobility outlining efforts to improve the way airlines handle disabled passengers and their wheelchairs. Did you know that there has already been one wheelchair accessible plane? It was custom built as Air Force One for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with elevators and wide aisles. And wheelchair tiedowns that hold up to 20 Gs have been successfully tested. We can build it! We have the technology!
In August, many of you tuned in for part one of MDA’s accessible air travel webinar series, where they held a conversation with Southwest and Alaska Airlines and discussed the current state of accessible air travel and what the future holds for those passengers traveling with a disability. MDA will continue their accessible air travel webinar series in early 2018 with the Department of Transportation. Keep an eye out for future messages that will include pertinent information regarding the upcoming webinar.
Congress has voted to extend the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) operating authority until March 31, 2018, which represents a six-month extension. The extension, formally called the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017 (H.R. 3823), funds FAA operations at its current funding level and includes none of the proposed provisions in the full reauthorization bills that would increase access to air travel for passengers with disabilities. The exclusion of these provisions was expected, however, as a simple extension allows Congress time to come to an agreement on the final FAA reauthorization bill, which means our community still has five months to urge the inclusion of key accessibility provisions in the final reauthorization. Throughout the next few months, we will continue to advocate for measures that help ensure increased access to air travel.
If you have not already done so, please take a moment today to reach out to your members of Congress and share your support for the disability provisions included in the legislation.
Additionally, in an ongoing effort to improve airport accessibility, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced this month that it has reached agreements with Alaska Airlines/Virgin America and Spirit Airlines to expand the availability of airport kiosks that will be accessible to individuals with disabilities. DOT also reached an agreement with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to make airline’s mobile website accessible for individuals with disabilities. You can read more about these improvements on DOT’s website.
From the October edition of the MDA Advocacy Newsletter.
