|
 |
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
DOT 3RD FORUM ON WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE AIR TRAVEL FOR PASSENGERS WITH
DISABILITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C.
JUNE 24, 2003
Good
afternoon. Thank you Sam for the
kind words of introduction. I am
delighted to join you for this third forum on Working Together to Improve the
Air Travel of Passengers with Disabilities.
I had the opportunity to join many of you at the very first forum in
2001.
I
am pleased to note that we have made great strides since then, thanks in no
small part to the leadership of Sam Podberesky and his team in the Office of
Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings. They
play an integral role in the U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to
protect the rights of air travelers with disabilities.
Thanks Sam for all of your good work.
Three
years ago we came together to work in a more collaborative fashion.
When I spoke with you then, I stated that under my watch I would work
hard to improve transportation access for persons with disabilities.
And,
as one who is recovering from recent back surgery, in traveling on our nation's
airlines I am even more cognizant of the challenges that face passengers with
disabilities when we are not doing our jobs.
I
have spent my career in public life dedicated to the principle that no one
should be subjected to unfair treatment because of the population group to which
they happen to belong.
This
is one part of my job that I take very seriously - ensuring that this principle
is put into practice. And I firmly
believe our work is doing just that.
Working
together these past three years we can be proud of our achievements.
Some
of the more recent accomplishments include:
*
Issuance of a DOT Final Rule requiring certain U.S. and foreign air carriers to
file detailed statistics on disability-related complaints they receive;
*
Establishment of a toll-free Hotline for information on air travel by
individuals with disabilities and "real-time" assistance with
disability-related air travel problems;
*
Investigations of air carriers for violations of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).
Many of the investigations have focused on enplaning and deplaning
assistance and connecting wheelchair service by air carriers.
These investigations have resulted in consent orders with several
carriers involving civil penalties of up to $1.2 million.
More importantly, they resulted in real improvements in the services
airlines provide to air travelers with disabilities.
From
April 2000 through June 2003 the Aviation Consumer Protection Division received
over 1500 disability-related complaints. Each
complaint is fully investigated in accordance with amendments to the ACAA.
More
than 1100 of those complaints have been investigated. Every investigation leads to one of three decisions -- a
finding of no violation, a finding of potential violation and a warning letter
is issued, or a finding of a potential violation and enforcement action is
pursued.
One
of the key factors in reaching these milestones is collaborative policymaking
and enhanced cooperation between all parties involved - the carriers, the
airports and the disability community. Forums
like today's allow for the exchange of ideas to make accessibility in air travel
a reality for all.
I
want to thank the National Council on Disability, the Air Transport Association
and the Regional Airline Association for the critical role you play in making
these forums a success. Likewise, I
commend the representatives of the disability community for their participation
and valued assistance.
I
am pleased to note that the U.S. Department of Transportation has entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding with the National Council on Disability to assist
our enforcement office in organizing and developing the agenda for disability
forums.
The
MOU will also help to foster coordination of the various working groups trying
to resolve disability-related air travel issues.
Today's forum is an important result of what I am confident will be a
long and fruitful partnership.
We
are also working to establish improved lines of communication.
In addition to the toll-free hotline, we have established a toll-free
fax-on-demand system for consumers to obtain disability-related as well as other
consumer protection information.
The
ACAA complaint form and disability-related guidance documents have been
translated into Braille and Spanish. This
information can be found at the DOT website at
www.dot.gov.
And
finally, working with the Department of Justice and the National Council on
Disability, we have developed a detailed outreach plan to provide information
and technical assistance to the airline industry and air travelers with
disabilities. That program will be
launched by year's end.
We
have made great strides in ensuring that passengers with disabilities have
access to air travel. Are we at 100
percent? Of
course not, but our work here today will help to get us there.
Together,
we have worked hard over these past three years to address air travel concerns
for passengers with disabilities. And
I am proud of our accomplishments, but now is not the time to rest on our
laurels. We must work ever better
together to ensure that all passengers with disabilities have unencumbered
access to air travel.
Congratulations
on a very successful forum and I know that together, we will achieve our goal to
make accessible air travel a reality for all. My challenge to each of you is to build on these great
successes to ensure that we have even more good news to share at next year's
forum.
Thank
you. May God bless each one of you,
and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
# # # #