DOT 83-02
Monday, September 16, 2002
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT
Establishes Toll-Free Hotline To Assist Air Travelers With Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) has established a toll-free hotline to assist air travelers with
disabilities.
The
hotline will provide general information to consumers about the rights of air
travelers with disabilities, respond to requests for printed consumer
information, and assist air travelers with time-sensitive disability-related
issues that need to be addressed in “real time.”
The line is staffed from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, seven days a
week. Air travelers who
experience disability-related air travel service problems may call the hotline
at 1-800-778-4838 (voice) or 1-800-455-9880
(TTY) to
obtain assistance.
“I believe today as I believed over a
decade ago, as a co-author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, that
accessibility in transportation is a civil right,” said Secretary of
Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. “The
administration is committed to increasing mobility for all Americans,
particularly those with disabilities. The
establishment of the toll-free hotline is a major step in facilitating
accessible air travel for all individuals with disabilities.”
In assisting individuals who may have
disability-related air travel complaints that require immediate intervention,
the role of the DOT employees is one of facilitating compliance with DOT’s
rules and suggesting possible customer-service solutions to the airline
involved. Since compliance with the
Air Carrier Access Act and DOT’s implementing regulations remains the
obligation of the carrier, airline employees will continue to decide what action
will be taken in any given situation.
The larger U.S. and foreign carriers were asked to provide contact information for the hours the hotline will be staffed. A list of carriers providing this information is available at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/airconsumer/
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