Third Working Group a Success!
All Wheels Up held its third Working Group, Develop the Possible, in Seattle in mid-September, bringing together major global stakeholders in the airline industry, travel sphere, and advocacy sector for two days of discussions to explore next steps for a wheelchair spot on airplanes. Aerospace engineers, flight attendants, airline executives, wheelchair manufacturers, restraint-system makers, and wheelchair users shared robust and detailed conversation in a positive and welcoming environment. Our Seattle Working Group is the largest event to date to discuss and showcase conceptual designs for a wheelchair spot on planes:
• 85 attendees
• 22+ companies
• 15+ speakers
• 7 university posters
• 4 universities
It went so well that we're already planning our fourth Working Group! This effort was greatly aided by the Department of Transportation, who declared the concept of a wheelchair restraint system on an airplane to be "feasible" exactly one year ago. Since then, All Wheels Up has been actively consulting on or funding research projects with multiple universities—the goal being multiple seating manufacturers offering a wheelchair spot option in product lines to airlines.
All Wheels Up has made tremendous progress in moving the conversation forward for a wheelchair spot on planes by providing positive and responsible messaging—and most importantly by sharing facts through research, as demonstrated at our Working Group. None of this could have taken place without the All Wheels Up team—thank you! We are also grateful to everyone who has supported All Wheels Up and our mission for safer and more dignified accessible air travel. A huge thank you to our Working Group sponsors: Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), AmSafe, The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Google, Q'Straint, and ADAPTS. #allwheelsup #flyinclusive
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