Legislation is now moving through Congress related to the future of aviation. Thanks to past advocacy by the SMA community, the pending legislation includes several provisions that will improve air travel for passengers with SMA and other disabilities, including individuals who fly in power wheelchairs. 

Among the most important disability-related provisions are:

• Improving training for personnel responsible for assisting passengers who travel with wheelchairs, including the handling and stowage of wheelchairs in the cargo hold,
• Studying the technical and economic feasibility of accommodating passengers in wheelchairs in the main cabin,
• Updating aircraft accessibility standards, 
• Publishing cargo hold dimensions, and
• Collecting additional data on disability complaints, such as the nature and resolution of wheelchair damage issues.

While we continue to advocate long-term for the SMA community's top air travel priority-- allowing passengers to use their wheelchairs as their in-cabin seat -- we need to ensure that these meaningful disability-related provisions are retained in the final bill (known as the FAA reauthorization bill). 

Tell Congress to improve accessible air travel for people with SMA by supporting disability provisions in the FAA reauthorization bill. 

ACT NOW!

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