At this stage of progress, every day should involve work to advance the safety and dignity of air travel for people with disabilities. However, in 2022, to help raise awareness of the issues, All Wheels Up (AWU) launched National Accessible Air Travel Day (20th August). If you haven’t done so already, you might like to get involved through sharing thoughts and experiences, contributing funds, joining an organisation, or just learning a little more about the issues of disabled travel.
There are few people better to learn from than Michele Erwin, CEO of All Wheels Up. Here she explains why, for wheelchair spots on commercial aircraft, it’s not a question of why any more: it’s a question of when:
“Any journey worth taking has its ups and downs. However, once the destination is in sight, all the challenges that surrounded the trip fade into memory and are later credited for making the result that much better. For All Wheels Up, our 15-year journey of advocating for wheelchair spots on commercial aircraft is, in aviation terms, on approach and awaiting permission to land.
A presentation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at our annual Global Forum has put us on a course to achieve our goal of allowing those using a WC-19 rated wheelchair to fly in their own chair on an airplane. This news has given us, and our fellow stakeholders, hope that our goal will be achieved soon. To know the US Department of Transportation is currently in the process of setting parameters for testing and certification is news that gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the work behind us, and the work that lies ahead.
This exciting news follows the 2024 bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, which was signed into law in May 2023 by President Joe Biden. This bill authorises funding for the FAA to continue its role and responsibilities for five more years, and includes several disability–access measures that wheelchair users have wanted for years.
Nearly a decade of testing and millions of dollars have gone into getting us to this point. We have worked hard over the years to change the standards of air travel for individuals in wheelchairs. That work has led us to today, where the FAA is now conducting its own testing with the aim of eventually setting the standards and policies that will allow wheelchair passengers to fly safely.
At All Wheels Up we don’t demand change without investing in research and understanding what is at stake for all involved. Through the generous support of donors and collaboration with other advocacy groups, we have shown the decision makers that the time is now to finish the job.
This work is very personal for me. I founded All Wheels Up 15 years ago because I saw first-hand the challenges my son, who uses a wheelchair, faced while travelling. Since day one we have fought for our goal in a proactive and professional manner, to make sure we do this the right way.
We knew from the beginning that this would be a lengthy process. Now that we are near to our goal, it is important we continue to advocate for the end-phase of testing to be conducted with the highest levels of safety in mind. This upcoming change in policy will forever change air travel for the better. At All Wheels Up we are committed to making this change the best it can be.
The captain has asked us to secure our seatbelts. We are approaching the runway. It has been a long journey, but every bit of turbulence we have incurred over the last 15 years will have been well worth it as our goal comes into view.”
