Easterseals’ Post

The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, recently announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued new protections for people with disabilities in commercial air travel that will ensure that they can fly safely and with dignity.  The new final rule requires that airlines meet more rigorous standards for accommodating passengers with disabilities, especially for passengers who use wheelchairs. The rule sets new standards for assistance, mandates hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs, and specifies actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged or delayed during transport.  For more information, read the full release: https://lnkd.in/eyvp8uCq

EEK!!! You guys! The US Congress just passed the FAA Reauthorization bill… Which includes some of the most significant language for people living with disabilities and accessible air travel in the last 30 or 40 years! This is HUGE. This bill creates a pathway for wheelchair spots on airplanes. It bridges the gaps we still need to fill in with additional crash testing and economic feasibility studies. AND will tighten training requirements for airline staff, who are helping with seat, transfers, or handling mobility devices in the meantime, while we work toward wheelchair spots on airplanes. That last piece, along with some accountability measures, should go along way toward helping to reinstate some of the dignity wheelchair users lose each time they get on an airplane. I will continue to advocate until people with disabilities receive full equity in the air travel process. But for now, I want to thank so many people I have had the pleasure to work alongside with on this massive change: Muscular Dystrophy Association, All Wheels Up, U.S. Department of Transportation and Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Kelly Buckland, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Madison Lawson, Ryan Sheldon... And the thousands of advocates across the country, who used their voices to speak up for what was right and to demand change. IT'S HAPPENING! #AccessibleAirTravel #FAAReauthorization #DisabilityAdvocate #DisabilityAwareness #AirTravel #Equity

U.S. Department of Transportation has imposed a landmark $50 million fine on American Airlines for its mistreatment of passengers with disabilities, with some individuals suffering harm as a result. Secretary Pete Buttigieg (THANK YOU!) emphasized the airline’s consistent failure to provide timely wheelchair assistance, which led to the damage of thousands of passengers’ wheelchairs—devices essential to independence, human dignity and well-being. American Airlines isn't the only airline facing this kind of scrutiny. 🙌🏼 I NEVER, EVER in a million years thought I would see something like this in my lifetime! 👉🏼 I feel seen and acknowledged as a part of the humanity rather than an issue to deal with in the moment. 👉🏼 I feel seen and acknowledged for all the times I had to crawl to the bathroom on a plane, or worse, couldn't use one be cause there was no access at all in hopes I dont blow out my only kidney in the process. 👉🏼 I feel seen and acknowledged for all of the times my wheelchair arrived damaged—dented, broken, and missing wheels. 👉🏼 I feel seen and acknowledged for all the times I was left stranded on the plane, forgotten, because my wheelchair was stowed away with the luggage, and no help arrived to assist me in getting off. 👉🏼 I feel seen and acknowledged for the fear that lingers every time I fly, worrying about the unknown of if my wheelchair will arrive with me and what trauma I might face along the way. ⭐️ This is incredible news. And it's about time!!! #CustomerExperience #DisabilityInclusion #HumanResources #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityInclusion #AmericanAirlines #AccessibleTravel #WheelchairUser Read More: https://lnkd.in/gienqEFN

Safe Landing member Todd Smith 🌱🌍👨✈️ had the rare opportunity to discuss ‘eco-anxiety’ live on LBC radio. Todd feels that although engaging in the Climate and Ecological reality is psychologically uncomfortable, it is absolutely necessary to sit with those difficult feelings of despair and grief etc so that the right actions can follow. He feels we cannot simply think our way out of this but that we also need to honour the depth of our emotional experience. This has ultimately led to Todd feeling more resilient to campaign and be effective in his new role. The question for aviation workers is how can we use the wisdom of these emotions that are being felt collectively, to come together and affect meaningful change, beyond the short-term thinking of board members and politicians? Are you familiar with the Aviation Worker Assembly we commissioned in Bristol? https://lnkd.in/eRZzsVxZ. If you haven’t yet joined our growing movement of aviation workers; interested in sustainability, we’d love to hear from you. #aviation #ecoanxiety #workersunited

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has announced protections for airline passengers with disabilities in a generation. Effective January 2025, these new regulations aim to ensure safe, dignified, and reliable travel for millions of passengers who use wheelchairs or require mobility assistance. Key provisions of the rule include: ✅ Enhanced employee training: Airline staff must undergo annual hands-on training to provide safe assistance and handle mobility devices with care. ✅ Stronger accountability: Airlines are held responsible for timely returns, repairs, and replacements of wheelchairs or scooters, with clear penalties for mishandlings. ✅ Passenger rights notifications: Travelers will receive written information on their rights and the status of their mobility devices during the journey. ✅ Improved standards: Updates to boarding, deplaning, and seating accommodations, along with enhanced onboard wheelchair requirements. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ePaeCRBF #Accessibility #InclusiveTravel #AirlineRegulations #DisabilityRights #DOT

I just boarded a flight home and as I did, I was very conscious that today, O’Hare is busier than usual - even for a Friday. Memorial Day weekend travel is set to be the third busiest since 2000, with Americans flying in record numbers. This increase in air travel is an important reminder that for over 61 million Americans with disabilities, air travel is still not accessible. For Americans with disabilities, the reality of flying is anything but exciting—it's often stressful, painful, and even dangerous. Passengers with disabilities face burdensome obstacles at nearly every step of the air travel experience. Most flights don’t have an accessible bathroom for people with disabilities, and every day, 31 wheelchairs are damaged by airline workers or contractors. We've been talking about airline accessibility for 40 years. Now it’s time to act. Join Easterseals to make accessible air travel a reality. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eXABE-kM #AccessibleAirTravel

With all of the air travel that is taking place over the holiday season, a major U.S. airline is making updates to one of it's most popular in-flight features in an effort to inprove accessibility for people with disabilities. Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/eV4ypMrZ #DisabilitySupport

Exciting news! Flying home for the holidays will soon be easier for travelers who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices, thanks to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The rule aims to make travel safer and more dignified for more mobility aid users by setting new standards for assistance, mandating hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ePaeCRBF

At Easterseals, we know firsthand how inaccessible air travel remains. Every day, about 31 wheelchairs are damaged by airlines, and the air travel process is marked by challenges at nearly every step of the journey for people with disabilities. This week’s report on American Airlines being fined $50 million by the Department of Transportation is a critical win for travelers with disabilities. Together, all stakeholders can make America the world’s most accessible air travel market. https://lnkd.in/eVrwk9zm