For disabled passengers, the skies aren't always very friendly

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For disabled passengers, the skies aren't always very friendly

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-healthy13aug13,1,1975211.column

TERRY SZOLD used to fly on commercial airlines three or four times a

year. But in the last few years, as a chronic neurological condition

has worsened, she has had to use a wheelchair. That's when she grew

increasingly dissatisfied with traveling on commercial airlines.

She was " banged up, " she said, when transferred to the airline's

aisle chair, a miniature version of a wheelchair that is used to get

passengers to their seats. Another big hassle was getting to the

restroom, she says. (When a trip to the bathroom is needed, a flight

attendant typically provides the aisle chair, if necessary, to

transport the passenger.)

So Szold, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in

Cambridge, hasn't flown for two years.

Her experience isn't unusual for air travelers who use wheelchairs,

says H. Kaye, an associate professor and research director of

UC San Francisco's Disability Statistics Center. " I've heard of

people who dehydrate themselves so they don't have to use the

bathroom " during a flight, he said. " A lot don't travel by air if

they can avoid it. "

Under the Air r Access Act of 1986, passengers can't be

discriminated against on the basis of disability by any domestic or

foreign air carrier. But the act is far from perfect, and the

Department of Transportation is reviewing some of the regulations

that implement the act's disability-nondiscrimination provisions.

The act says carriers can't refuse transportation to anyone on the

basis of his or her disability and they can't require advance notice

that a person with a disability will be traveling. But carriers can

require up to 48 hours' notice for certain accommodations that may

need preparation time. Among the act's other provisions: Newer

aircraft with 30 or more seats must have movable aisle armrests on

half of the aisle seats. New wide-body aircraft with twin aisles must

have accessible lavatories, but single-aisle planes, as the rule now

stands, do not.

Many of the proposed changes, says DOT spokesman Bill Mosley, involve

making the original rules clearer and simpler. For example, a

proposed rule about onboard storage for wheelchairs clarifies that

the area must be adequate for a folding adult-size chair.

The DOT also asked for comment on whether a special closet should be

maintained for wheelchairs and clarifies that wheelchair storage

takes precedent over storage of crew members' luggage. It also

clarifies how airline personnel should help disabled passengers,

suggesting explicit duties such as helping them with baggage if

needed.

The DOT is evaluating the comments and suggestions and will publish a

final set of regulations. " We hope to complete it as soon as

possible, " Mosley said. (To read the suggestions, see dms.dot.gov,

click on " Simple Search, " then enter docket No. 19482.)

The DOT's proposed changes come at a time when the airline industry,

with some carriers in financial trouble, can ill afford them. The

proposed rules impose " unduly burdensome requirements on U.S.

airlines without adequate justification, " said Castelveter, a

spokesman for the Air Transport Assn. of America, the trade

organization of the principal U.S. airlines.

" Our members have advisory boards to help assist them with complying

with the Department of Transportation's rules, " Castelveter

said, " and to improve services for all passengers with disabilities,

including those who use wheelchairs or other mobility-assistive

devices. As a result, we receive relatively few complaints about

wheelchair access issues. "