From Yahoo/USA Today:
“This proposal would help the
DOT 'more easily penalize airlines' that damage wheelchairs”
Transportation Secretary Pete
Buttigieg unveiled a new proposal Thursday aimed at improving air travel for
passengers with disabilities. Under the proposed rule set forth by the
Department of Transportation, airlines would be mandated to adhere to stringent
standards, guaranteeing prompt and dignified assistance for passengers with
disabilities. Enhanced training protocols for airline staff (and their
contractors), coupled with specified actions to safeguard passengers and their
wheelchairs during transport, aim to underscore the DOT's commitment to
passenger safety and accessibility. "It's an important part of how we
change the way that airlines operate and change the way that travelers with
disabilities can move around the country and around the world," Buttigieg
said during a call with media. "This news compliments a range of actions
by the Biden-Harris administration to make transportation more accessible,
including launching the first Bill of Rights for airline passengers with
disabilities and publishing a final rule that will increase the size and
accessibility of airplane bathrooms." The proposed rule would cover
wheelchairs and assistive devices as defined by the DOT, like crutches, canes,
walkers, prosthetics, and hearing aids, among others. During USA TODAY's
yearlong series highlighting the people behind airline damage to wheelchairs,
over 30 respondents said some version of the phrase "breaking my
wheelchair is like breaking my legs." Airlines damaged thousands of
mobility aids this year: Here's how 30+ flyers were affected
What does the proposed rule
tackle?
Penalties for mishandling
wheelchairs, and other assistive devices: The proposal would make those
mishandlings an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act, allowing DOT
to "more easily penalize airlines and hold them accountable when a
passenger’s mobility device is damaged." It would also require airlines to
promptly repair or replace damaged wheelchairs and provide a loaner.
Safe assistance: The rule
would require enhanced airline employee and airline contractor training that
includes hands-on training, for those who physically assist passengers with
mobility disabilities or handle passengers’ wheelchairs. This includes the
prompt return of a delayed wheelchair to the passenger's final destination
within 24 hours.
Improved standards on planes:
The rule proposes improved performance standards for onboard wheelchairs on
twin-aisle aircraft and small aircraft and notifications after loading and
unloading a wheelchair.
"This is about making sure
that both the physical safety of passengers and the physical condition of
mobility devices are contemplated and dignified," Buttigieg added. The
announcement has already garnered widespread support from Assistant to the
President Stephen Benjamin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., disability advocates,
aviation workers, and stakeholders convening for a discussion at the White
House. "This is really about helping passengers be better empowered to
make use of the rights and protections that they already have," asserted
Buttigieg. The proposed rule will be seeking comments from the public for 60
days after it is published in the Federal Register.
^ This rule is desperately needed
to help the Disabled who Fly keep their dignity as well as their expansive
adaptive aids safe. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/news/proposal-help-dot-more-easily-101821970.html
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