Airlines & the American Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was created to protect people with disabilities from discrimination and to create more opportunities for them. ADA seeks to increase access for people with disability in many areas, including transportation and air travel.
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History
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Included in ADA is the Air Carrier Access Act. The act applies to both foreign and domestic air carriers. The act states the need for airlines to provide boarding assistance and other accommodations to disabled individuals, such as altering facilities to make them wheelchair accessible.
Significance
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In 2008, the Northwest Airlines Corporation was sued for failure to comply with the Air Carrier Access Act. This led to increased enforcement of the Architectural Guidelines specifiied under ADA, such as creating handicapped-accessible bathrooms and boarding platforms.
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Considerations
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The U.S. Carrier Access Act of 1986 prohibits discrimination by airlines based on disability. However, airlines are still known to lack preparation or understanding of the needs of their disabled passengers. Passengers with disabilities my want to call ahead and also investigate the policies of a given airline for disabled passengers.
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