| | Air Travel Tips Air Travel Access Act This 1986 Department of Transportation rule (Title 14 CFR, Part 382) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel and requires carriers to accommodate the needs of passengers with disabilities. Airlines may not require advance notice that a person with a disability is flying, but may require up to 48 hours advance notice for certain accommodations that require preparation time such as transporting a power wheelchair on an aircraft with less than 60 seats. They may not require a person with a disability to travel with an attendant. New aircraft ordered after April 5, 1990 with 30 or more seats must have movable aisle armrests on half the aisle seats. Twin-aisle aircraft must have accessible lavatories. New aircraft with 100 or more seats must have priority space for storing a passenger's folding wheelchair in the cabin. Aircraft with more than 60 seats and an accessible lavatory must have an on-board wheelchair. Click this link for a guide to the Air Carrier Access Act. This Act was amended in April, 2000 to cover foreign air carriers.
Tips for Wheelchair or Scooter Users Passengers in wheelchairs who can't walk through the detectors will be offered a private area where a screener will search them by hand while seated. Passengers who can stand, but not walk will be asked to stand near their wheelchair or scooter for the screening. Regardless of how the passenger is screened, expect an inspection of the wheelchair or scooter including the seat cushions and any non-removable pouches or fanny packs. The mobility device will be tested for explosives and any removable pouches will be required to undergo X-ray screening. TSA's goal is to ensure that every passenger with a disability knows what to expect at every airport, every time, everywhere," said Sandra Cammaroto, manager of TSA's screening of persons with disabilities program. For more information regarding the regulations affecting passengers with disabilities, please visit the TSA's website. It is suggested that you call the TSA Cares help line 72 hours ahead of travel for information and what to expect during screening. Call 855-787-2227 Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-11 p.m. eastern time, weekends and holidays 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. eastern time. You can also email at TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov.
TSA Notification Card Passengers may find it helpful to carry a Notification Card and present it to the screeners as a way to discreetly communicate information about specific needs. Click here to download the Notification Card.
Specific Airline Procedures Always check with individual airlines regarding their procedures for checking wheelchairs or scooters. You will want to know if the plane you booked will accommodate your folding wheelchair inside or if it must be checked. You will want to know if you can drive your power chair directly to the gate. You will want to know if the airline will disassemble your chair. If so, you should provide instructions for assembly/disassemlby along with your wheelchair's specific battery type to the wheelchair. Ask if there is a specific form to fill out covering Wheelchair Handling Information. Here is an example that Delta suggests you use. You may also need to identify your battery as lithium-ion, wet-cell or dry-cell "non-spillable." Lithium-ion batteries are not permitted to be carried by passengers as checked or carry-on baggage. Some Airline Links for Accessible Travel Recommendations Tips for Traveling with a Disability from 15 major airlines. How to Make Flying with Disabilities Less Stressful - A Fully Accessible Guide Blind or Low Vision Passengers who are blind or have low vision should notify a security officer and inform him or her of the assistance needed. Standard imaging technology will be used only if passengers do not have a service animal. Canes and other devices must go through the screening. May, 2003-New Airport Check-in Policy Traveling with Your Eyes Shut Series
Travel Resources for the Visually Impaired
Editor's Notes Scooter Rental: If you're planning to rent a scooter at your destination, locate vendors in advance and make arrangements from home by phone so you can have the equipment waiting for you at the airport, or at least reserved for you to pick up. That way you won't have to use your vacation time to hunt down a rental, which can get very complicated especially in a foreign country. Carrying Medicine: If you need to carry medicine that needs refrigeration, carry it in a small, thermal shoulder pack (they're available as lunchboxes at discount stores such as K-Mart or Target) and place a cool pack or ice inside it. Keep syringes together with your medicine: One without the other is useless to you. If it's a lengthy flight, ask a flight attendant to stow your medicine and cool pack in the plane's refrigeration area, but hang onto your thermal shoulder pack and syringes. Resources
There are many websites with travel tips. Access-Able Travel Source has great tips for traveling with oxygen, finding a hotel room, airline travel, cruise ship information, service animals, blind and low vision and finding transportation. If you still have questions after reading this site, contact the co-owner, Carol Randall: (303) 232-2979
Luggage Tips for Wheelchair Travel by Erik Kondo
Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality | More Air Travel Information Did you know that airports under construction or being refurbished must comply with the ADA Accessibility Guidelines? This includes accessible parking near the terminal, accessible restrooms, drinking fountains, ticketing systems at primary fare collection areas, telephones and text telephones, baggage check-in and retrieval areas, level entry boarding ramps and lifts and information systems. To learn about your rights on U.S. air carriers, free publications are available: A 28-page information booklet on the Air Carriers Access Act offers a wealth of information on what you can expect and what to do if you have a complaint. Contact: The Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177; (718) 803-EPVA or follow this link to view the information online. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a 40-page booklet, "New Horizons, Information for the Air Traveler with a Disability." Contact PVA Distribution Center, (888) 860-7244 (Order No. 2100-16) or view it online. The U.S. Department of Transportation has established a toll-free hotline to assist The Air Carriers Access Act requires all air carriers to compensate passengers twice the liability limit established for passenger's luggage or $2,500 per passenger. For international travel, the liability is $9.07 per pound of checked baggage and $400 per passenger for unchecked baggage. See 14 CFR Part 382, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel. |
