DOT Issues Guidance on Access at Airport Security Checkpoints

Editor: Air travel has never been easy for people with hearing loss, and the advent of new requirements, restrictions, and procedures has certainly increased the stress associated with travel. Now the Department of Transportation has clarified some of the issues associated with air travel and how they affect people with disabilities (including hearing loss).

Thanks to NVRC News for this information.

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In light of the heightened security at the nation's airports, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken steps to ensure that the rights of passengers with disabilities are protected. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the new DOT entity responsible for protecting the nation's transit system, has issued advice to air travelers, including those with disabilities, on new security screening procedures. This guidance is intended to inform passengers with disabilities of their rights, including those with mobility, hearing, or vision impairments. For example, this information clarifies that persons with disabilities can request a private screening and that the limit of one carry-on bag and one personal item per traveler does not apply to passengers with disabilities traveling with medical supplies or equipment, mobility aids, or assistive devices. Necessary procedures are also detailed. Screeners are required to visually and physically inspect prosthetic devices and body braces. Also, all bags and satchels attached to mobility aids should be placed on the x-ray belt for inspection. These and other tips are posted on TSA's website at http://www.tsa.dot.gov/trav_consumers/tips_disabilities.shtm.

In addition, DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division has issued a fact sheet on the new security requirements and accessibility requirements. This information is available on DOT's website at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/20011029.htm. The Division also enforces requirements of the Air Carrier Access Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel and requires U.S. air carriers to properly accommodate passengers with disabilities. Complaints under the Act can be filed with the Division.

For further information on security screening procedures, contact:
TSA
400 7th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
http://www.tsa.dot.gov