Help the Department of Transportation Get Air Travel Accessibility Right
December 1, 2011
I’m writing this post because we all have a stake in the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) efforts to maintain the rights of travelers with disabilities. There is a conversation currently taking place at Regulation Room http://regulationroom.org/, which is part of Cornell University’s e-Rulemaking Initiative. Regulation Room is an effort by DOT to: (1) alert the public, including those who sometimes may not be aware of rulemaking proposals, such as individuals, public interest groups, and small businesses, that rulemaking is occurring in areas of interest to them; (2) increase public understanding of each proposed rule and the rulemaking process; and (3) help the public formulate more effective individual and collaborative input to DOT
DOT has proposed new regulations that will:
- Require airlines and airports to make check-in kiosks accessible to travelers with disabilities
- Require airlines and travel agents to make their websites accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Very few travelers with disabilities have commented on this important proposal, but there is still time left to comment. And it’s important to do so.
DOT is proposing to require that air travel websites and airport check-in kiosks to be accessible to people with disabilities. But what should the standards be? If you are a traveler with a disability (or a family member or friend), you can provide essential information about current problems with these websites and kiosks, and what changes are needed
Many people who would benefit from the proposal don’t realize that DOT needs to hear from people who agree with the proposed regulations, not just those who disagree.
Participate by sharing your travel experiences with kiosks and travel websites. Do you have a story or anecdote about a time you encountered an inaccessible airline website, inaccessible automated kiosk or both? How did this affect your travel experience? Please limit your comments to these particular areas of potential discrimination.
Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions about standards or implementation, because if we don’t possibly no one will. For example, DOT is requiring all newly purchased kiosks to meet proposed standards for accessibility. What if some airlines deliberately delay in purchasing new kiosks? It could be years before the changes actually take effect. What are disabled travelers supposed to do in the meantime?
The closing date for comments in January 9, 2012.
