Easterseals' Statement on Airlines for America Lawsuit to Roll Back Protections for Passengers with Disabilities

Easterseals President and CEO Kendra Davenport released the following statement in response to a lawsuit to overturn protections for travelers with disabilities, including prompt repair or replacement of damaged wheelchairs and improved training for airline representatives assisting flyers with disabilities:

“We’ve been talking about accessible air travel for more than 40 years, and we’re still not there yet. We should be moving forward, not backward. ‘Stressful,’ ‘painful,’ and ‘humiliating’ is how people with disabilities repeatedly describe their flying experiences. Every day, an average of 31 wheelchairs are damaged when stored by airline personnel or contractors. Most domestic flights don’t have bathrooms accessible for people with disabilities. The U.S. is the world’s largest commercial air travel market, and it's well past time to make it the most accessible market. Working together, we can get there. It’s the right thing to do and the smart thing to do—more accessible air travel would create jobs and boost our economy.”