Access to air travel is an important element in living life without limits. The ability to travel by air impacts many aspects of life including options for employment, education, and whether you can get back and forth from a clinical trial or a specialist's office that is far from home.

October 2021 will mark an important milestone in accessible air travel as it will be the 35th Anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which requires equal access to air travelers with disabilities. The law explicitly prohibits discrimination against travelers with disabilities, and applies to both domestic and foreign air carriers who operate in the U.S.  A few years after the law was enacted, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued rules and regulations governing the application of the ACAA.  These rules define the rights of passengers and the requirements of the airlines under the law (Title 14 CFR Part 382).  To learn more, read the full text or a summary of the rules.

We celebrate the great strides that have been made in making air travel accessible, but are also reminded of the opportunities that remain to improve the experience for air travelers with disabilities. MDA is working with policy makers, industry, stakeholders and disabled travel advocates to support initiatives and activities to increase accessibility in air travel.

MDA has endorsed the Air Carrier Access Amendment Act (ACAAA), a bill to improve air travel for individuals with disabilities. View our fact sheet on this legislation to learn more about this bill.

In addition, MDA has laid out key priorities for the upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Act.