Author: admin

Trump Is Helping Airlines Get Away With Breaking People’s Wheelchairs

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There is literally no transparency when it comes to how airlines handle wheelchairs—they are not required to keep or publicly release data on the chairs and motorized scooters they carry.

A new federal rule written by the Obama administration was supposed to change that. Beginning on January 1, 2018, the rule would have required airlines to track, and report on a monthly basis, how many wheelchairs and motorized scooters each airline carries and how many they break or mishandle. That would allow disabled travelers to easily assess which airlines to use and which to avoid.

But then Donald Trump’s administration stepped in. Just weeks after Trump took office, the Department of Transportation bowed to pressure from airline industry lobbyists and abruptly delayed the new rule—with no input from the public.

Read the rest at Mother Jones.

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.

Accessible air travel webinar

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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.

FAA Reauthorization

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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.