The Transportation Department proposes new rules for how airlines handle wheelchairs

Travelers who use wheelchairs have long complained that airlines frequently damage or lose them.

Now the Biden administration is trying to change that by proposing new standards for how airlines must accommodate passengers with disabilities.

"Transportation is still inaccessible for far too many people, and that's certainly true for aviation," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a call with reporters. "This is about making sure that all Americans can travel safely and with dignity."

The proposed rule, announced Thursday, would make mishandling of wheelchairs an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act — making it easier to hold airlines accountable when they damage or delay the return of a wheelchair, Buttigieg said.

The rule would mandate that airlines provide more training for employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers' wheelchairs and other mobility devices. In addition, it would require airlines to provide prompt assistance to passengers with disabilities when boarding and deplaning.

https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1234708784/airlines-wheelchairs-damaged-disabilities-transportation-department

A start, but not enough. Thanks, though, Secretary Pete!