TSA to Improve Screening for Disabled Passengers

The Transportation Security Administration is in the process of delivering new training to security officers that will equip them to better assist travelers with disabilities, including those who have difficulty communicating.

The new training instructs officers to look for designations on state identification documents, such as driver’s licenses, that denote disabilities that may impose a communication barrier on the individual. Several states have added endorsements, known as “communication impediment designations,” to licenses and identification cards to denote this fact.

Darby LaJoye, Executive Assistant Administrator for Security Operations at TSA said, “We are updating applicable trainings to ensure that all (Transportation Security Officers) are aware of communication impediment designations and expect to deliver the updated training to the TSOs as early as May 2021.”

This additional training should improve the airport security experience for disabled travelers who face difficulty in communicating with others. To learn more about this development, read the article from Disability Scoop.