Editorial: Getting treated worse than your own luggage

But a report released last week suggests that what headaches able-bodied passengers experience can pale in comparison to those confronted by the disabled. An 18-month review of the treatment of disabled air travelers by the National Council on Disability found that these passengers frequently are mistreated by airline employees. In addition, these passengers often are refused needed accommodations, such as access to wheelchairs and escorts, which violates the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act.

The council said people who use wheelchairs regularly encounter problems, from not being given a bulkhead seat to being mishandled and even occasionally dropped by either poorly trained or insensitive employees. Deaf travelers sometimes miss flights when their departing gates get changed unexpectedly since these switches are announced over a public address system.

A regulatory environment dating back to the 1980s that encourages voluntary compliance and minimal federal oversight has contributed to lax enforcement of the Air Carrier Access Act, according to the council. In response, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater said he will work to improve the agency's oversight, which is a good start. Before Congress addresses a passenger's bill of rights it should first amend the Air Carrier Access Act and increase the penalties for violations of the law. Maybe higher penalties than the existing $1,000 fine for each violation will get the airlines' attention that their failure to accommodate people with disabilities isn't just poor customer service, it violates federal law.

archive