On May 16, after more than 2-years of advocacy and education by the SMA and disability communities, Cure SMA-supported legislation was signed into law making air travel safer and more accessible for all!
What’s in the Law for Passengers with SMA and Other Disabilities
The new law implements several key recommendations from the SMA community that will significantly enhance the travel experience for passengers with disabilities. Among its provisions are:
- Improved Training for Staff: establishes enhanced training protocols for airline personnel responsible for handling and storing wheelchairs, ensuring greater care and attention to the needs of passengers with disabilities.
- Enhanced Airport Accessibility: requires airports to increase accessibility of their facilities, including bathrooms, gates, and counters.
- Strengthened Disability Consumer Protections: bolsters consumer protections, safeguarding the rights and interests of individuals with disabilities throughout the travel process.
- Better Data Collection: collects more comprehensive data on disability-related air travel complaints, providing valuable insights to inform future policy decisions and improve the overall travel experience.
- Feasibility Studies on Wheelchair Seating: studies the technical and economic feasibility of incorporating wheelchair-accessible seating options in aircrafts, potentially revolutionizing the way individuals with SMA travel by air.
How the SMA Community Influenced This Historic Legislation
This new law is a testament to the unwavering dedication and advocacy efforts of the SMA community. This advocacy win started with education, with individuals and families with SMA from across the country sharing their air travel challenges and experiences for Cure SMA’s Good, Bad, and Ugly of Air Travel report. Cure SMA shared the report with every Member of Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to illustrate that air travel injuries and damaged wheelchairs are the norm, not the exception. A woman with SMA featured in the report shared “People with SMA and other physical disabilities who travel by air must check their wheelchair with no confidence or assurance that their lifeline to independence and mobility will arrive undamaged. Let’s ensure policies and laws in making traveling accessible for all so that we can have our pursuit of happiness.” Another person with SMA shared “I absolutely love to travel and my soul longs to see the world. I, and all other wheelchair users I know, would be forever grateful if Congress made air travel more accessible.” Cure SMA included these SMA community experiences in congressional testimony and statements, and in comment letters to DOT.
In addition, the SMA community actively advocated with their Members of Congress for accessible air travel provisions, sending over 5,000 messages to Congress, engaging in direct discussions with more than 150 congressional offices during Cure SMA’s Hill Day, and amplifying their voices through .
Thank you!
This groundbreaking law is a step forward in addressing the challenges faced by individuals with SMA when navigating air travel. As we celebrate this significant achievement, we also recognize that there is still much work to be done. Cure SMA will continue to fight to ensure that all individuals with SMA and disabilities have equal access to air travel. We won’t stop until we achieve the SMA community’s top goal of using your wheelchair as your aircraft seat.
Thank you again for your advocacy!