The U.S. Department of Transportation, responding to a growing number of complaints about damage to wheelchairs and other devices and on-board obstacles for air passengers with disabilities, has proposed new rules and standards for airlines and airports.
The rules, which will go into effect after a 60-day period for comments and revisions, impose new penalties for mishandling or damaging passengers' wheelchairs or other assistive devices, mandate annual hands-on training for airline and contractor employees who physically assist passengers or handle their wheelchairs and mandate improved standards for on-board wheelchairs in wide-body planes.
Transportation Secretary Buttigieg said the proposal "is about making sure that both the physical safety of passengers and the physical condition of mobility devices are contemplated and dignified." Mishandling of wheelchairs, under the new rule, would be considered a violation of the Air Carrier Access Act, which can carry penalties up to $120,000.
Airlines carried almost 750,000 wheelchairs in 2022, the last year with complet data, with about 11,400 reported damage incidents. Many of the reports concern powered wheelchairs and customized devices, the most likely to be damaged and the most difficult for passengers to replace or do without. Also a major area of complaint: Passengers being left to wait for long periods for their wheelchairs after arrival.
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