ACCESSIBLE AIR TRAVEL IS READY FOR TAKEOFF

CAN IT AVOID TURBULENCE?

“People with disabilities have the right to access any mode of transportation and have the same safe experience that everyone else has,” says Heather Ansley is Chief Policy Officer for PVA and the co-chair of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) Advisory Committee.

“If you have to be across the country the next day — to address an urgent family matter or attend a critical business meeting — the only way you can do that is to fly. People with disabilities are no different. 

They’ve paid the fare, so the airline needs to provide a safe and dignified experience.”

If something happens to your wheelchair or other mobility device during air travel, document the damage or other issues in writing and take photos. 

The quickest way to get a response is to contact the airline. 

Check the airline’s website to see if they have a specific phone number to call for disability-related concerns.

“If the issue is not resolved sufficiently, or if you have concerns that your rights were violated, also submit a complaint to the DOT,” says Shannon Wood, Director of Disability Policy at MDA. 

“It’s those complaints to the DOT that led to the unprecedented fine against American Airlines last year.”