DOT proposes strengthening travel safety for wheelchair users 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation on Feb. 28 published a notice of proposed rulemaking to strengthen its rule implementing the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to ensure passengers who use wheelchair can travel safely and with dignity. The proposed rule – “Safe and Accessible Air Travel” – would require that airlines do better in accommodating passengers with disabilities by setting new standards for prompt, safe, and dignified assistance; mandating enhanced training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle their wheelchairs; and outlining actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged during transport. “We are forging a new path for the airline industry, making air travel accessible for all,” said Vincenzo Piscopo, president & CEO of United Spinal Association in response to the news. “Now is the time for wheelchair users to share their stories, both their flightmares and their dreams of solutions for safe, accessible air travel.” The proposed rule also clarifies that damaging or delaying the return of a wheelchair is an automatic violation of the ACAA. The DOJ will accept comments on the notice for 60 days. “We must all submit comments within the next 60 days,” said Alexandra Bennewith, vice president of government relations for United Spinal. “After that, the rule can be finalized. However, we must ensure disability protections are enforced in this new rule, which is why it is so important that the Department of Transportation hear from all of us.” Comments can be filed at  www.regulations.gov, using the docket number DOT-OST-2022-0144.