Airlines

In partnership with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Delta Air Lines has unveiled a unique, try-before-you-fly mock aircraft cabin, designed for the benefit of people with “sensory, physical or cognitive disabilities, those with fear of flying, and service dogs a place to experience and become familiar with an aircraft cabin in a serene setting.”

“We are always looking for ways to build travel equity,” said Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) Chair Rick King. “It’s easy to take air travel for granted, but for many it presents unique challenges and requires different resources. The Travel Confidently MSP Education Center is one more way we can provide resources to the community and lower the barriers to flying for as many people as possible.”

To learn more about this new partnership, read the press release from Delta Air Lines.

The Air Carrier Access Act, which attempted to guarantee equal access in air travel for persons with disabilities, was signed into law in 1986. Despite being in place for more than 30 years, travelers continue to encounter barriers and many airlines have not prioritized compliance with the regulations.

Many disabled people are unfamiliar with the protections afforded to them by the ACAA, and the Department of Transportation is hoping to change that. The agency, led by Secretary Pete Buttigieg, has released the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, a document that simplifies and condenses the lengthy regulations into an easy-to-read document. The hope is that better informed travelers will be equipped to better advocate for their better treatment on airplanes and in airports.

To learn more about the bill of rights for disabled air travelers, see this article in The Washington Post (in which I am quoted).

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines recently shared an article on its blog, in which it committed to “becoming the most accessible and inclusive airline for everyone.” To highlight its commitment, the airline released a new video to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The company stated, “We recognize that our diversity and inclusion efforts MUST include people with disabilities to positively impact the lives of ALL our employees and passengers.” That’s a refreshing take, given how frequently disability is left out of DE&I initiatives.

“We’ve come a long way in terms of helping our employees and customers with disabilities, but we didn’t do that alone. We rely heavily on our disability partnerships to let us know where we need to go to improve,” said Ray Prentice, Director of Customer Advocacy, Alaska Airlines.

To learn more, read the story from the Alaska Airlines blog.

More than 30 years after the Air Carrier Access Act became law, air travel is still fraught with barriers for disabled passengers. For Cory Lee Woodard, who has SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), the horrors of flying begin anywhere from 48 to 72 hours before he arrives at the airport. This is when he starts cutting back his food and beverage intake to avoid using airplane lavatories, which don’t meet accessibility standards for wheelchair users. He always tries to tell himself that it’s going to be worth it once he gets to the destination.

Once he arrives at the destination, he’s nervously waiting to see if his wheelchair is going to work and in good condition. A quarter of the time, something is damaged.

Maybe it’s time to lobby Boeing, Airbus and the airline interior designers to provide a space on board for a wheelchair.

To read more about the experiences wheelchair users face when traveling by air, read the full article from Matador Network.