Join MDA, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 3 p.m. EST for a one-hour webinar about accessible air travel. This webinar is a continuation of MDA’s collaborative efforts to help improve access to air travel for passengers living with disabilities. Join us to discuss traveling with a disability and to explore ways to help eliminate barriers to access. There will be a question and answer session during the last portion of the webinar. If you a have a question you would like to submit in advance of the webinar, please send your question to advocacy@mdausa.org.
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FAA Reauthorization
Both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have introduced their versions of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill for 2018, which funds the FAA and
its operations. The Senate bill includes all four disability provisions contained in last year’s bill:
- Study the use of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems;
- Identify best practices in airport accessibility;
- Examine training policies regarding assistance for disabled air travelers; and
- Create an advisory committee with diverse stakeholders to investigate and report to Congress on the needs of passengers with disabilities.
The current House bill includes three provisions that would establish an advisory committee, identify best practice standards in airport accessibility and training policies, and undertake a study on use of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems. Stay tuned for action alerts and updated information on how you can engage with your members of Congress to share why access to air travel is important to you and to support all of the disability focused provisions.
More Than 40% of Wheelchair Users Surveyed by MDA Report Their Wheelchair Was Damaged in Flight
The results of MDA’s accessible air travel survey are in, and over 70% disabled respondents report having accessibility problems during air travel. The biggest problem was damage to wheelchairs, with 40% of respondents reporting it. Surprisingly, fewer than 4% filed a complaint, either because they did not know how to or were unable to file a claim before leaving the airport.
See the infographic at: https://strongly.mda.org/70-percent-mda-families-say-experienced-problems-accessibility-traveling-air-infographic/
United Airlines Destroys a French Man’s Wheelchair at the Beginning of His Month-Long Vacation
Voila comment @united airline accompagne les personnes en situation de handicap. Fauteuil détruit(37.000€),voyage aux USA gâché. Honteux #RT pic.twitter.com/9LMPFcYdXG
— Lucie Duthion (@LucieDuthion) July 4, 2017
Another United Airlines passenger gets dragged off the plane in an aisle chair, although this time United damaged the wheelchair instead of the passenger. That man, from France, had been embarking on a month long dream vacation.
At Airports, Making Travel Easier for Autistic Passengers
Some airports around the world are trying to make things easier for their autistic passengers by opening up sensory rooms to relax in and holding mock flight experiences.
Read more about it at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/travel/at-airports-making-travel-easier-for-autistic-passengers.html