If air travel is in your future, check this out ...

The MDA Advocacy group published the results of their survey on air travel. Below is the email the MDA sent out with a link to the full article. I have also included a link to the DOT’s annual report on disability-related complaints for air travel. It shows a 224% increase in complaints over the last ten years. That's huge, but when you consider the actual number of complaints it is staggering. 

2007 Report =13,766                               2016 Report = 30,830

And, we all know that a vast majority of problems experienced are never formally submitted to the DOT.

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MDA Advocacy Newsletter

“In an effort to understand the scale and scope of challenges faced by the neuromuscular disease community when traveling by air, at the end of 2016 we surveyed the MDA community about their flying experiences. We received more than 2,000 responses, and we thank everyone who took the time to participate in the survey. We hope you'll take a moment to review the results to see how challenges with and access to air travel impact our community.

Over the past two years, MDA has made accessible air travel one of our policy priorities. We're working closely with policy makers, federal agencies, industry and other advocacy and disability rights organizations to help improve access to air travel for MDA families. For more information about traveling with limited mobility, visit MDA's Accessible Air Travel Resource Center.”

Click here to read the full article on the MDA website.

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A few months ago, I called upon my readers to contact their representatives regarding this important issue. The bill introduced in the Senate recently would go a long way in helping this ongoing issue.

“While there are efforts in place to increase access to air travel, there is still much to be done to improve the rights of passengers with disabilities during air travel. Recently, the U.S. Senate introduced a bill that strengthens the rights of disabled passengers under the Air Carrier Access Act. Included in the bill are provisions to:

1. Strengthen enforcement to include specific protections of the rights of passengers with disabilities and recourse when those rights are violated;

2. Ensure airplanes are designed to accommodate people with disabilities and airlines meet accessibility standards, including safe and effective boarding and deplaning;

3. Provide better stowage options for assistive devices;

4. Improve access to seating accommodations;

5. Close service gaps in air travel for passengers with disabilities; and

6. Require that the U.S. Access board conduct a study to determine the ways in which individuals who use assistive devices can be accommodated through cabin wheelchair restraint systems.”

All of the above would help, but I especially like #6.

If interested, click here to access the annual DOT Reports on Disability-Related Air Travel Complaints.

Photo:  http://www.disabledgo.com

Accessible Air Travel; Let members of Congress know it's important

Back in May I posted an article on Accessible Air Travel and what is being done to improve our travel experiences.

The MDA Advocacy Group has posted the following message asking for everyone's support to help push this through..

Take Action for Accessible Air Travel

Thank you to everyone who has joined us in advocating for increased access to air travel.  Many of you contacted your Senators previously, encouraging them to include provisions to increase air travel accessibility in the FAA reauthorization.  All four of those provisions were included in the final version that passed the Senate by an overwhelming vote of 95-3, thanks in part to the actions of many advocates.  

As you will recall, the accessible travel provisions in the Senate bill call for:
1) studying the use of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems, 
2) identifying best practices in airport accessibility, 
3) examining training policies regarding assistance for disabled air travelers and 
4) creating an advisory committee with diverse stakeholders to investigate and report to Congress on the needs of passengers with disabilities. 

The same provisions that would increase access to air travel for passengers with disabilities, however, are not included in the current version of the FAA reauthorization in the House of Representatives.  The House and Senate are now considering how to move forward and an extension may be the first step.

Please TAKE ACTION TODAY to let your members of Congress know that accessible travel provisions are important to passengers with disabilities, and that as they work out an agreement, we urge them to include the provisions in any final FAA reauthorization or in any action that would extend the FAA’s current operating authority.

If you would like to help by contacting your representatives, please follow this link:  TAKE ACTION NOW

Accessible Air Travel

For those of us living with a progressive disorder, accessible air travel becomes more of an issue over time. My last job required quite a bit of travel in the United States and Canada. Long lines, the distance to the gates, waiting, changing planes, more long lines, the distance to baggage claim—I think you get the point—had me worn out even before I even visited out customers, warehouses and mills. And, I'm not going to even mention the plane's tight seating, and bathrooms.

Once I had a nasty fall while exiting a plane. More than once I fell because of fatigue after arriving at the destination. In short, airlines are really not set up to accommodate those of requiring special needs when traveling.  

The update below from the MDA shows that some progress is being made in this area.

Accessible Air Travel Update

MDA has been working closely with a diverse set of stakeholders that include policy makers, advocate groups, industry and MDA families to support increased accessibility to air travel.  Thank you to everyone who contacted your U.S. Senators to urge their support for the disabled passengers provisions contained in the Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill.  These provisions would call for 1) studying the use of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems, 2) identifying best practices in airport accessibility, 3) examining training policies regarding assistance for disabled air travelers and 4) creating an advisory committee with diverse stakeholders to investigate and report to Congress on the needs of passengers with disabilities.

The bill passed the full Senate with overwhelming support (vote 95 to 3) - with allfour of the disability provisions intact.  Two amendments pertaining to enforcement of the Air Carrier Access Act were offered, but were not included in the final version of the legislation.

The next step is for the U.S. House to take action.  We will follow up with additional information on how you can take action as the legislative process moves forward.  Additionally, the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently convened the first meeting of the Accessible Air Transportation Advisory Committee (ACCESS) in Washington, D.C. to address three issues impacting accessibility: 1) lavatories, 2) service animals and 3) in-flight entertainment.  The committee will consider all three issues in the coming months, and we will provide updates and summaries about this effort as it progresses.  If you are interested in learning more about the accessible air travel initiative or are planning air travel in the near future, check out MDA'sAccessible Travel Resource Center.

Photo: Coastal Air Tours