Flying With Disabilities Is a Dangerous Nightmare. But Change Is in the Air
New airline rules from the US Department of Transportation are expected to pass by the end of this year. For wheelchair users, the effects could be transformative.
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Charles Brown, a US Marine Corps veteran trained in military aircraft, recalls the first time he boarded a plane as a wheelchair user, having sustained a spinal cord injury while on duty. It was 1987, a year after Congress passed the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which prohibits airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities on domestic and international flights.