USA: Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights

[ahimsa]

I'm not sure whether this document has any "teeth" (a way to enforce it) but I thought this might be helpful for disabled folks in the USA who are able to travel.

The US Department of Transportation has just posted the first ever Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights:

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights

This Bill of Rights describes the fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act and its implementing regulation, 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 382.

The Bill of Rights consists of:

1. The Right to Be Treated with Dignity and Respect.

2. The Right to Receive Information About Services and Aircraft Capabilities and Limitations.

3. The Right to Receive Information in an Accessible Format.

4. The Right to Accessible Airport Facilities.

5. The Right to Assistance at Airports.

6. The Right to Assistance on the Aircraft.

7. The Right to Travel with an Assistive Device or Service Animal.

8. The Right to Receive Seating Accommodations.

9. The Right to Accessible Aircraft Features.

10. The Right to Resolution of a Disability-Related Issue.
...

Does the Bill of Rights reflect current information?

• The Bill of Rights is a living document. DOT will update the Bill of Rights as regulations change.
  
  
• DOT published this Bill of Rights in July 2022.

The website has a short video in addition to the text.

 

[ahimsa]

I'm not sure whether this document has any "teeth" (a way to enforce it) but I thought this might be helpful for disabled folks in the USA who are able to travel.

I think the answer is that this new "bill of rights" does not announce any new laws. It's just a framework to help passengers understand the laws that already exist under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).

From the website:

"The Bill of Rights does not expand or restrict the rights of air travelers with disabilities. Rather, it provides a convenient summary of existing law. Because the explanations in this document may not be as precise as the regulations themselves, the explanations link to the actual regulatory text for your reference."