More Than 40% of Wheelchair Users Surveyed by MDA Report Their Wheelchair Was Damaged in Flight

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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

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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.

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.

Woman in wheelchair dropped by airport employee on United Airlines flight, suffers serious injury: lawsuit

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A wheelchair-using woman was dropped by an unidentified Air Serv employee while transferring onto a plane at Houston airport. She suffered injuries to her shoulder that still persist, which have limited her use of her arms and her independence. And to add insult to injury, United Airlines also damaged her wheelchair. But at least she didn’t get dragged off the airplane, so I guess that’s progress!

Read the rest at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-confined-wheelchair-dropped-united-flight-lawsuit-article-1.3228429