Biden Administration Proposes New Rules to Improve Air Travel for Disabled Passengers

The Biden Administration Proposes New Rules for Disabled Air Travelers

The Biden administration has put forward new rules to enhance the flying experience for disabled passengers, in response to longstanding complaints, such as frequent damage to wheelchairs during flights. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of providing proper care for wheelchairs and their users, stating that airlines failing to do so will face consequences.

Key Measures of the Proposed Rules

• Airlines must promptly repair or replace damaged wheelchairs
• Yearly comprehensive training for employees and contractors working with disabled travelers and their devices
• Mishandling of wheelchairs and assistive devices to be an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act
• Availability of loaner wheelchairs when users’ devices are undergoing repair or replacement

Impact and Numbers

An estimated 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair, facing numerous barriers when traveling by air. In 2022, over 11,000 wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and scooters were lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen, a number expected to rise in 2023. The public will have 60 days to comment on the proposed rules, which aim to improve the overall flying experience.

Broader Efforts by the Administration

Aside from the proposed rules, the administration has allocated billions of dollars to enhance accessibility at airports, rail and subway stations. Furthermore, efforts have been made to finalize rules for making bathrooms on single-aisle aircraft accessible to people with disabilities.

Secretary Buttigieg's Statement

“The basic promise of transportation is the idea that everyone should be able to travel safely and freely to the places that they need to be. And if a person is not able to travel simply because someone else decides it’s too hard to accommodate them, the world shrinks for that traveler. It also shrinks for everyone else who would benefit from that person’s presence in any context, from a family gathering to a board meeting.” - Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg