Tag: Air Carrier Access Amendments Act

Call to action on Air Carrier Access Amendments Act

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United Spinal Association has put up an online tool to allow people to contact their senators easily and urge them to support S.1318.

United Spinal believes that the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act includes a number of new protections that will make air travel more accessible to people with disabilities.This act would promote:

  • Airline Passengers With Disabilities Bill of Rights
  • Advisory Committee on Disability
  • Better Stowage Options
  • Safe & Effective Boarding & Deplaning
  • Enforcement In Cases of Discrimination
  • Private Right of Action (Bring private legal action)
  • Civil Penalties & Fines (For bodily harm or damage to wheelchairs)

Visit the United Spinal Association’s Advocacy Alert page to compose your message and find your senators.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces Legislation to Protect Rights of Disabled Airplane Passengers

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U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Ed Markey (D-MA) to introduce the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act. The legislation would protect the rights of disabled airplane passengers and close service gaps that passengers with disabilities frequently encounter in air travel. Last year over 30,000 airplane passengers, including many disabled veterans, filed disability related complaints with airlines.

The Air Carrier Access Amendments Act will:

  • Strengthen ACAA enforcement to include specific protections of the rights of passengers with disabilities and a private right of action.
  • Ensure airplanes are designed to accommodate people with disabilities and airlines meet accessibility standards, including safe and effective boarding and deplaning, visually accessible announcements and better stowage options for assistive devices.
  • Improve access to seating accommodations.
  • Close service gaps in air travel for passengers with disabilities.

A one-page summary of the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act is available here.