Things are Looking up for Air Travelers with
Disabilities
July 2003
Editor: Back in Issue 12 of Volume 15 we noted that the Department of
Transportation (DOT) had established a toll free line for air travelers
with disabilities and was encouraging people to use the hotline if they
believed they had been discriminated against. It turns out that there is
a lot more to the story than that. The new rules also require airlines
to record complaints they receive and to report to the DOT.
In my opinion, this is a wonderful opportunity for people with
hearing loss to "encourage" the airlines to provide accessible
communication. Don't understand the announcements at the gate? Complain
to the airline and to the hotline. Don't understand the announcements on
the plane? Complain to the airline and to the hotline. Don't understand
the safety instructions on the plane? Complain to the airline and to the
hotline.
People with hearing loss have been complaining about the lack of
accessible airline communication for years. Here's a golden opportunity
to do something about it!
Here are portions of the recent DOT press release.
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Beginning next year, U.S. and foreign air carriers serving the United
States will be required to record complaints they receive regarding the
treatment of passengers with disabilities and to report these complaints
annually to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
This new rule, published in today's Federal Register, is part of
DOT's continuing effort to work toward barrier-free travel by
individuals with disabilities, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman
Y. Mineta said at a recent forum focusing on issues faced by air
travelers with disabilities.
The new rule will require all carriers operating aircraft with more
than 60 seats to file with DOT records of complaints they receive
regarding inadequate accessibility or discrimination on the basis of
disability. Complaints will be categorized according to the passenger's
disability. This will supplement information currently being filed by
passengers directly with DOT that is summarized monthly in the
department's Air Travel Consumer Report.
Participants at the recent forum, which included experts from the
disability community, the airline industry, airline associations,
airport service companies and government, shared information about what
works and what is needed to improve the air travel environment for
persons with disabilities. A number of issues were discussed such as
ways to better educate air travelers with disabilities about DOT's
Disability Hotline (voice: 1-800-778-4838; TTY: 1-800-455-9880), methods
for improving the department's May 9, 2003 service animal guidance, and
means by which passengers with disabilities can assist in making the air
travel experience smoother (e.g., providing advance notice for
wheelchair assistance even though such notice is not required).