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Travel (Disabilities) « Disabilities – Other Issues

Travel disabilities

 

Resources, Articles and Information
About Travel for People with Disabilities

“My disability has opened my eyes to see my true abilities."  ≈ Robert M. Hensel

 

Government Resources:

Make sure you know your rights as a traveler with disabilities by reviewing the Air Carrier Access Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  • Fly Rights: A Consumer Guide to Air Travel (US DOT)
    Provides air travelers with helpful advice on how to get the best airfare, what to expect when a flight is delayed or canceled and how to avoid travel scams. The guide provides easy-to-read information on federal airline regulations in a number of areas, including accommodating air travelers with disabilities and rules for bumping and baggage compensation.
  • New Horizons – Information for the Air Traveler with a Disability (US DOT)
    This guide is designed to offer travelers with disabilities a brief but authoritative source of information about the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) rule: the accommodations, facilities, and services that are required to be available. It also describes features required by other regulations designed to make air travel more accessible.
  • Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel
    Regulations from the Department of Transportation.
  • TSA Cares Help Line (Transportation Security Administration)
    TSA Cares is a helpline to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a representative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition, or the passenger may be referred to disability experts at TSA.
  • Traveling With Disabilities (US Dept. of State Bureau of Consular Affairs)
    If you are a person with disabilities or are traveling with a person with disabilities, preparation before you begin your trip is essential to help you ensure that your travel will be accessible, safe and enjoyable. Think about your needs throughout your trip and conduct research in advance. Individual countries have their own standards of accessibility for travelers with disabilities. We recommend that travelers with disabilities review the information on www.travel.state.gov, consider the following tips, and discuss the trip with your health care provider.

Travel Information for People with Disabilities

  • Accessible Air Travel Resource Center
    One way to help ensure the best possible experience when traveling by air is to know what resources and supports are in place to assist disabled passengers. Important information can be found on the websites of the individual airlines, which provide detailed information and instructions on matters such as seeking assistance in the airport, traveling with oxygen, and seating needs on the plane. 
  • How to Make Flying With Physical Disabilities Less Stressful: A Fully Accessible Guide (Million Mile Secrets – 8/8/18)
    What to look out for when you going through the airport and boarding your flight.  Also covers how perks on some of the airline credit cards can enhance your entire flying experience.
  • Services for Travelers with Disabilities
    Delta Airlines' information on services including accessibility and assistance, wheelchair services, reservations requirements and special concerns.
  • Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality
    An educational nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the needs of all travelers with disabilities, remove physical and attitudinal barriers to free access and expand travel opportunities in the United States and abroad.  
  • Tips to Make Traveling with a Disability Easier (Disabled World – 2008-12-24 – Rev. 2019-03-02)
    These disability travel tips and information for the disabled will help make trips, tours, holidays, and vacations a lot easier.
  • Travel Accessibility Resources for the Disabled and Handicapped
    While traveling with a disability can be challenging, it can also provide a host of physical and mental benefits. The article contains several resources and tips to assist disabled or handicapped individuals with traveling.   
  • U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Formation and Membership of the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee (DOT – 9/20/2019)
    The ACAA Advisory Committee will advise the Secretary about issues relating to the air travel needs of passengers with disabilities.  It will identify and assess disability-related access barriers encountered by air travelers with disabilities, evaluate the extent to which DOT’s programs and activities are addressing these disability-related access barriers, and recommend actions to improve the air travel experience of passengers with disabilities.

Articles About Travel for People With Disabilities

  • Smoothing the Way (New York Times – 4/26/10)
    People with disabilities never have an easy time traveling, but a rash of recent improvements, including more wheelchair-accessible taxis and rental vehicles — and even Web sites for people with dexterity or vision problems — have made it easier. New regulations updating the Air Carrier Access Act, for instance, extend coverage to flights by foreign airlines originating or landing in the United States, or ticketed through American carriers.