[Travelandtourism] U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood TakesAction to Make Websites and Kiosks Accessible to AirTravelers with Disabilities

Mon Sep 19 18:21:50 UTC 2011

Hai Nguyen Ly

I want to thank you for posting this information. I just got off the phone 
with Bill Mosley he said that we can send a comment on this by going to 
www.regulations.gove

and search for DOT-OST-2011-0177 and hit search and post a comment. I will 
also like to see others posting to this as well.

In a few days, since I am home from NY State Convention. That I would write 
a letter to the Department of Transportation with my own issues with this; 
also I will ask that David Andrews possible forward this to talk lists 
besides us as well.

This is a serious issues, especially since our case was thrown out of court 
when we filed one about the airlines, and we were told that they do not fall 
under the ADA.

This is an issue that I am brining up to the board, which I am hoping all of 
you are on the list, that we support and offer assistance to Baltimore on 
this issue. Let us try and speak of this at out board meeting that is coming 
up next week on the 27th, should those of you interested in participating on 
that call it is open to everyone and not just the board.

It will be posted again soon the date and instructions of the call.

Leading the Way in Independent Travel!

Cheryl Echevarria
http://www.echevarriatravel.com
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Superior Travel, located in 
Baldwin, NY. www.superiortravel.com

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise & Travel, Inc.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hai Nguyen Ly" <gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB Travel and Tourism Division List" <travelandtourism at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 1:57 PM
Subject: [Travelandtourism] U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood 
TakesAction to Make Websites and Kiosks Accessible to AirTravelers with 
Disabilities

http://twitemail.com/fullview/55031

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Takes Action to Make Websites and 
Kiosks Accessible to Air Travelers with Disabilities

Monday, September 19, 2011

Contact:  Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-4570

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Takes Action to Make Websites and 
Kiosks Accessible to Air Travelers with Disabilities

                The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in its ongoing 
effort to ensure equal access to air transportation for all travelers, today 
proposed a regulation that would require airlines to make their websites 
accessible to individuals with disabilities and ensure that their ticket 
agents do the same.  DOT also proposed that airlines make automated airport 
kiosks at U.S. airports accessible to passengers with disabilities. U.S. 
airports that jointly own, lease or control such kiosks with airlines would 
also have responsibility for ensuring the accessibility of automated airport 
kiosks.

“I strongly believe that airline passengers with disabilities should have 
equal access to the same services as all other travelers,” said U.S. 
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “The Department of Transportation is 
committed to ensuring that airline passengers are treated fairly, and today’s 
action is part of that effort.”

                Under the proposed rule, airlines would be required to make 
their websites accessible to persons with disabilities over a two-year 
period.  Websites would be required to meet the standards for accessibility 
contained in the widely accepted Website Content Accessibility Guidelines. 
The requirement would apply to U.S. and foreign carriers with websites 
marketing air transportation to U.S. consumers for travel within, to or from 
the United States.  Small ticket agents would be exempt from the requirement 
to have accessible websites.

In addition, airlines and airports that use automated kiosks for services 
such as printing boarding passes and baggage tags would have to ensure that 
any kiosk ordered 60 days after the rule takes effect is accessible. 
Standards for accessibility would be based on standards for automated 
transaction machines set by the Department of Justice in its 2010 Americans 
with Disabilities Act rule.  This requirement would apply to U.S. and 
foreign carriers and U.S. airports that own, lease or control automated 
airport kiosks at U.S. airports with 10,000 or more annual boardings.  The 
proposal asks for comment on the cost and feasibility of retrofitting 
existing kiosks to make them accessible.

                This proposal is the latest in a series of DOT rulemakings 
to implement the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).  In the ACAA rule issued in 
May 2008, DOT required carriers, among other things, to make discounts 
available to passengers with disabilities who cannot use inaccessible web 
sites and therefore must make telephone or in-person reservations. Also, if 
passengers with disabilities are unable to use the kiosk because it is not 
accessible, carriers are required to provide equivalent service, such as 
having an airline employee assist in operating the kiosk.  However, these 
provisions do not give passengers with disabilities, especially those with 
visual and mobility impairments, independent access to the websites and 
kiosks, and in this final rule the Department committed to exploring how to 
make websites and kiosks accessible.

Comments on the proposal are due within 60 days of publication in the 
Federal Register.  The proposal is available on the Internet at 
www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2011-0177.  In addition, the Department 
has partnered with Cornell University’s eRulemaking Initiative (CeRI), 
Regulation Room, designed to improve the public’s ability to understand and 
participate in this rulemaking process. A goal of the CeRI team is to make 
Regulation Room as accessible to as many users as possible.  This 
partnership supports President Obama’s open-government initiative.  People 
wanting to discuss and learn about this proposed rule should go to 
www.regulationroom.org.

_______________________________________________
Travelandtourism mailing list
Travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
Travelandtourism:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com 