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.