News Release
NCD #99-266
March 18, 1999
Contact: Mark S. Quigley
202-272-2004
202-272-2074 TTY
mquigley@ncd.gov
NCD Releases Report on Improving the Enforcement
of Civil Rights of Air Travelers with Disabilities
WASHINGTON--The National Council on Disability (NCD)
today released a groundbreaking report documenting ineffective enforcement
of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) since the law's passage in
1986. NCD's report, Enforcing
the Civil Rights of Air Travelers with Disabilities, contains
recommendations on how to improve the enforcement of civil rights
of air travelers with disabilities, including changes to the law
and improvements for the Department of Transportation.
At the news conference, NCD chairperson Marca Bristo
said, "The negative experiences of disabled travelers go beyond
the typical hassles all air travelers encounter. When you are dropped
or mishandled by poorly trained staff who treat you like an inconvenient
piece of luggage, when you can't get critical information because
it is not provided in an accessible format, you are left with the
feeling that you don't count, that your dignity as a human being
has been violated."
"Unfortunately, NCD has found that although things
have improved since ACAA was passed in 1986, people with disabilities
continue to encounter frequent, significant violations of their
civil rights. When they complain, they encounter an enforcement
effort that is both inconsistent and limited in scope," Bristo added.
The report
is available at NCD's award winning Web site (http://www.ncd.gov),
and will have serious implications for ACAA, the Federal Aviation
Act, and passenger bill of rights legislation sponsored by the President
and Congress. It is the first in NCD's "Unequal Protection Under
Law" series of independent analyses of federal civil rights enforcement
for Americans with disabilities.
NCD is an independent federal agency charged with
advising the President and Congress on public policy affecting people
with disabilities.
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