It’s official! We did it. Our aspirations of flying the friendly skies unscathed are closer than ever to becoming a reality.
President Biden signed the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill on May 16. This law will implement programs and standards to improve aviation safety and strengthen protections for disabled passengers and airline workers. The law authorizes more than $105 billion in funding for the FAA and $738 million for the National Transportation Safety Board from now through September 2028.
After many months of debate and short-term extensions on Capitol Hill, along with a lot of advocacy from United Spinal and other members of the disability community, the new law includes multiple provisions that make it safer and easier for disabled passengers to travel by air, including:
- Training requirements as refresher training every 18 months, including hands-on training, for assisting passengers with limited mobility and properly stowing assistive devices.
- Analyzing and improving the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) complaint process and funding.
- Addressing the need for more access standards and accessibility of in-flight entertainment.
- Improved access to airline websites, applications, and information communication technologies.
- Increasing access to seating accommodations.
- Continued study into safe and secure in-cabin wheelchair tie-down systems and, if technically feasible, a study into their economic and financial feasibility.
- The need for DOT to perform a more in-depth analysis of airline-reported mishandled wheelchair data.
- Reauthorization of the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory (ACAA) Committee.
- A requirement for the ACAA Committee to ensure safe transport for assistive devices powered by lithium-ion batteries.
- The inclusion of a pilot grant program to increase airport accessibility.
- New requirements related to the availability of onboard wheelchairs.
- Expansion of the Advanced Materials Center of Excellence to address safe and accessible air travel for passengers with disabilities.
- The creation of a service animal pilot program.
Many of the above provisions were included in the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act, a bill prioritized by United Spinal. Sign up for our newsletters and Grassroots Advocacy Network and join our fight for safe, convenient air travel.