July 2022 News
There is a lot of talk about accessibility in aviation right now. While not always the most positive of topics, it is great to see the experience of travelers with disabilities being prioritized in some capacity. The DOT recently released the new Passenger Bill of Rights. Although it just summarizes the regulations we already have, my hope is that the Bill will raise awareness of the Air Carrier Access Act among travelers with disabilities and help inform people of their rights when traveling by air. With accessibility at the forefront of the industry’s minds, it seems that there’s no better time for all stakeholders to come together at our Universal Access in Aviation (UAIA) event in Dallas-Fort Worth on October 25-27. We hope you’ll join us for some frank (but friendly!) discussion. It’ll be great to be back face-to-face again!
Eric Lipp, Executive Director
Open Doors Organization
ODO at SEA
ODO staffers Katy O'Reilly, Eric Lipp and Laurel Van Horn (shown above) traveled to Seattle International Airport this month for meetings with the Alaska Airlines training team. They also found time to walk the airport with Heather Karch and Chelsea Rodriguez to see new accessible amenities like the post-security info desk shown above. Chelsea, who oversees SEA Volunteers and Pathfinders, is working hard to get the word out about all their offerings for travelers with disabilities. This includes shooting a new video and creating a detailed print brochure, the Braille version of which features a tactile map. SEA will showcase these and other new initiatives at UAIA this October.
UAIA on the Horizon
Universal Access in Aviation 2022 is now less than two months away! This unique event, taking place October 25-27 at American Airlines' Skyview 8 Headquarters at DFW, provides an in-depth look at the current state of accessible services and facilities as well as best practice solutions from here and abroad. The networking opportunities are also unparalleled as UAIA offers a rare chance to meet other ADA Coordinators and airline managers focused on accessibility. We have a great lineup of speakers for the informative panels and roundtable discussions. Here are links for the agenda, registration and hotel block:
Preliminary Agenda
Registration
Hotel Reservation - Marriott DFW South
ODO Airline Symposium
Calling all airlines--national, regional and international--to join us on Oct. 25 to explore how to improve service for your customers with disabilities and older adults. This one-day event, held just before UAIA, allows airlines to meet in a closed-door session with their colleagues and ODO staffers to discuss the issues most important to them. Items on the agenda this year include Service Animals, Wheelchair Stowage/Handling, Building the Business Case, and an Open Forum. The Symposium, which runs from 10am to 4pm, is free of charge and includes lunch. We hope, of course, that you will also join us for UAIA which kicks off with a Cocktail Party at 5pm that evening. For details and to register, contact Katy O'Reilly.
New Subscriber to ODO's Service Animal Form Program
We are delighted to welcome JetBlue to ODO's Service Animal Forms program, joining Alaska Airlines and Sun Country. This service provides a simple and accessible way for passengers to submit their official U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation form online through a link on the airline website. The benefit for carriers is that they no longer need to review and approve the DOT forms themselves. Once registered in our system, a passenger can fly on these air carriers just by providing their unique service animal identifier (SVAN ID). To learn more about how this ODO service can benefit your airline, contact Katy O'Reilly.
