The law that governs air travel in the United States is about to expire. Next year, Congress must consider air travel changes through a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill. The last time the law was updated (2018), Congress included several provisions aimed at making air travel more accessible for people with disabilities. (For example, the recently released Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights was a requirement from the 2018 law.)
In preparation for congressional action on air travel, Cure SMA intends to produce a SMA community report (similar to our caregiving report) to educate Congress on the need for greater air travel accessibility, including the ability of using power wheelchairs on an aircraft. The report will feature direct air travel experiences and recommendations from individuals and families with SMA.
That’s where you come in.
This state-by-state educational report can only be impactful if we collect stories and feedback from everyone in the SMA community. We need all 50 states represented and, ideally, multiple entries from every state. That means we need your story and the stories of other individuals and families with SMA in your state. We want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly related to your recent and past air travel experiences. For those of you who do not travel by air, we also want to hear from you about why (i.e., fear of wheelchair damage) you use other modes of transportation.
Will you help in this important effort?
Please complete this short survey, which will be used to develop the SMA community report on air travel for people with SMA.
Thank you in advance for your advocacy!
P.S. When completed, this report will be a resource that Cure SMA and you can use to educate Congress about the need to increase air travel accessibility.