Some air travelers with disabilities have long experienced difficult experiences traveling through airports and flying on planes – that are not always designed to accommodate. In 2022 alone, 11,389 wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and scooters were lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen in U.S. airports.
Now, some members of Congress are looking to change this problem. A new bipartisan bill making its way through the House and Senate focuses on improving air travel for people with disabilities.
The Mobility Aids on Board Improve Lives and Empower All Act would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to publicly report and evaluate what kind of damage occurs to wheelchairs and other mobility aids at U.S. airports. The bill also calls for airlines to publish their plane’s dimensions to help ensure mobility aids can fit on a plane. What’s more, the bill would also require the Department of Transportation to research if in-flight wheelchair seating would be technically and financially feasible. As a civil rights and disability law, Kennedy Hunt P.C. applauds this bill. If you or someone you know has been a victim of disability discrimination, we may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.