DOT Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Ensure Air Travelers with Disabilities Know Their Rights
DOT Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Ensure Air Travelers with Disabilities Know Their Rights
#AccessibleAirTravel celebrates 37th anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act and builds on multiple actions the Biden-Harris administration is taking to improve air travel for Americans with disabilities
In preparation for the busy holiday travel season, and in celebration of the 37th anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on October 5, 2023 that it has launched a campaign, #AccessibleAirTravel, to raise awareness about the right of air travelers with disabilities to safe, dignified, and accessible air travel. An estimated 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair, and many encounter barriers when it comes to air travel.
“Airline passengers with disabilities deserve to travel safely and with dignity,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “DOT is proud to partner with the aviation industry and members of the disability community to ensure that all travelers with disabilities know their rights.”
The #AccessibleAirTravel campaign will promote DOT’s Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights through a quick and informative video that empowers individuals with disabilities to understand and assert their right to safe, dignified, and accessible air travel. DOT is partnering with airlines, airports, ticket agents, and disability organizations in this campaign and these partners are sharing the video on their respective websites and social media channels in October.
The Bill of Rights was developed using feedback from the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee, which includes representatives of passengers with disabilities, national disability organizations, U.S. and foreign air carriers, airport operators, contractor service providers, aircraft manufacturers, wheelchair manufacturers, and national organizations representing veterans with disabilities. The Bill of Rights was developed to empower air travelers with disabilities to understand their rights, and to help ensure airline personnel and their contractors uphold those rights.
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