What's Missing from Airline Access
Published May 21, 2009 @ 04:00PM PT
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) has just been updated. Considering the issues with airline access for people on the spectrum, perhaps the updates would include some improvements for us.
The ACAA starts off strong for us as it states explicitly (emphasis mine),
The ACAA protects individuals who have a disability. Under the ACAA, an individual with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that, on a permanent or temporary basis, substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
However, while a number of specific protections, accommodations, and clarifications exist for the accommodations required of the airlines to serve people with mobility or sensory disabilities, the only mention of mental disabilities made in the rest of the thing seems to be regarding when an assistant is required ("a passenger who, because of mental disabilities, is unable to comprehend or respond appropriately to safety instructions from carrier personnel;"). There is nothing that gives any sort of guidance to airlines about what sort of accommodations or support are necessary for including people with mental-related or social-related disabilities in air travel.
This is the same issue with the accessible meetings document. I'm thrilled to see better and better consideration of disability accommodations and implementation of anti-discrimination law, but people with social, learning, or intellectual disabilities continue to be left out of the discussion.
How can we get our needs better included in the creation of anti-discrimination policy, the implementation of anti-discrimination policy, and the provisioning of documentation and training to the public service sector?
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Comments (8)
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Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.
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Yet again people only seem willing to include us on their terms, the more I advocate the more frustrating and isolating it becomes... and have found generally the none autistic community (generally speaking here as I also have a none autistic son, one of each lucky me) unfortunately only seem to want to listen if we spell things out on there therms, in their way, not ours... but after a life time of trying so hard to fit, pretending I no longer wish to, where does that leave me, I guess the majority see it as my problem, my fight... but as some one said to me the other day "Truth goes through 3 phases, it is ridiculed, Denied and finally made self-evident.." so I guess the only thing we can all do is to continue to speak out and keep doing so until good positive world wise awareness and action happens, on autistic individuals terms, not everyone else's!
Alyson Bradley www.asplanet.info, speaking out at times a lonely journey but a necesary one...
Posted by Alyson Bradley on 05/21/2009 @ 05:27PM PT
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What accommodation would you ask for from airlines? It's been so long since I've flown anywhere I'm not even sure how it works anymore. I'd be more worried about security in the airport than anything else.
Posted by Anemone Cerridwen on 05/21/2009 @ 08:17PM PT
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For me having quite areas before our fights, helps relieve sensory, overload and stress before we have to be confined on any aeroplane.
For adults and children alike, maybe a tick box saying we are on the autism spectrum and being seated with like minded individuals would help us and parents with children on the autism spectrum, as could help each other.
Being given privilege to any additional space as being confined into a small space with strangers, as the close contact can bring on extreme stress and anxiety for many of us...
The security another big issue, our naivety often gets gets us in trouble! ww.asplanet.info
Posted by Alyson Bradley on 05/21/2009 @ 08:40PM PT
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A few items that would help me (and I've been denied at times even after fully disclosing my diagnosis):
1. Ability to wear ear plugs or ear muffs when on the air plane, including during take off and landing
2. Ability to have an escort without having to sit in a wheel chair (or be blind)
3. Assisstance with security
4. Information about what to expect at the airport that can be obtained prior to a visit (like this)
5. Some minimum amount of training for airline / airport personnel in how to interact successfully with people who have non-standard communication (including issues with separating a person from their communication device)
6. I could go on pretty endlessly as this is a topic I have thought waaaay to much about :-) (but those are for starters)
Posted by Dora Raymaker on 05/21/2009 @ 09:12PM PT
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Even though people with disabilities are the largest minourity group around, we do not fight as a whole. There are so many different pieces in which one fights for and everybody is fighting for that one piece of pie.
However in order for our voices to be heard we need to continue speaking out. Let people both the general public and in the disability community become aware of such issues. This also includes writing to congress, our senators and Representatives. Especially around election time. They always seem to look into these matters as a stepping stone of being elected or re-elected.
This is how the well known organizations done it. They lobbied, done speeches or write. Those that could do one part but not the other is OK too. Getting onto forums to write about issues will let more people know what is needed. This way the more people know then the more advocates one will have. This always looks better as a whole instead of just a few.
For example: Right now there have been a majour issue with schools not allowing service dogs in with students with disability's (mostly autism). These stories are being told by advocates on their forums and blogs how they are discriminating against students with disabilities. More and more people are commenting that didn't even know about such things before. And that's what one needs to get their point across. So the government will listen.
As an person with different disabilities that do not fly I would never known what would be needed for reasonable accommodations. That's the part that would be needed to be addressed.
Posted by PwD-SD Awareness on 05/22/2009 @ 06:57AM PT
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Dora, those are excellent suggestions especially about minimum amount of training for air personnel. There have been incidents on airlines involving passengers with autistic children. You run the risk of being restrained and the plane landing at the closest airport.
Wanted: Airline To Accommodate People With Autism
http://www.earthlingorgeous.com/2009/04/wanted_airline_to_accommodate_people_with_autism.html
Autistic toddler kicked off airplane Monday, June 23, 2008
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6223045
WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham, NC
Posted by L I on 05/22/2009 @ 07:25AM PT
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My firm, Springboard Consulting works with Corporate America on how to appropriately support and market to people with disabilities and their families in the workplace and marketplace. In fact, I have just written a book entitled DIVE IN, Springboard into the Profitability, Productivity and Potential of the Special Needs Workforce due out October 1st. I agree that "accommodations" as well as general etiquette and awareness is not understood especially as it relates to folks with "the not so visible" disabilities. I know because I have two children with special needs and have dealt with this on a personal level. Check out www.consultspringboard.com to learn more.
Posted by Nadine Vogel on 05/23/2009 @ 05:29AM PT
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@Nadine. I really enjoyed your link to consultspringboard. I like the ripple effect and think it is neat to read about success stories and experiences. I haven't seen a web site like yours. It is very positive.
Posted by L I on 05/25/2009 @ 05:34PM PT
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