GAO ISSUES UPDATED REPORT ON THE BARRIERS FACING PASSENGERS WITH DISABILITIES
December 14, 2022
On November 17, 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) issued a report “Passengers with Disabilities: Barriers to Accessible Travel Remain” on GAO’s findings related to the barriers that passengers with disabilities face during air travel and steps that certain airports and airlines, as well as DOT have taken to reduce these barriers.
In the new report, GAO largely highlights its past report issued in April 2021 while providing some additional findings on the barriers that passengers with disabilities face in air travel. For example, GAO notes that it made three main findings, (1) large, complex airports can affect accessibility (since it can be difficult for passengers with disabilities to navigate their layouts and the long distances between gates, and that essential travel information is not always available in a format accessible to all passengers, among other things), (2) TSA screening practices may subject passengers with disabilities (particularly those in wheelchairs or who have prosthetics) to additional screening more often than other passengers, and (3) that passengers with disabilities often face barriers related to services that airlines are responsible for addressing such as obtaining wheelchair or customer assistance, assistance with accessing onboard lavatories, and proper handling and storage of wheelchairs without damage. The report also details some of the steps that airlines and airports have taken to address barriers and make air travel more accessible, such as by expanding and/or renovating airports to implement improvements designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and implementing more technology and other solutions to increase accessibility. GAO also reported on steps that DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) have taken to implement certain accessibility-related provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. This includes DOT’s requirement that airlines report the number of wheelchairs and scooters that were transported and damaged, its rulemaking to harmonize service animal standards, and its study to issue findings to Congress on the aircraft cabin evacuation procedures used by airlines. At the end of its report, GAO restated two of its prior recommended actions to further reduce barriers related to accessibility which are (1) for DOT to provide more transparency into its enforcement of consumer protection issues, and (2) enhancement of TSA’s efforts to protect civil rights in passenger screening.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com 202-659-6665).
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