Transportation: Accessible Airlines / Bus Lines

National

new sign Disability Air Travel Information for Seniors and the Disabled The following air travel tips will help make your flight and trip, whether domestic or international, easier, cheaper and safer. When making your travel reservations, request any carts, wheelchair services or any other transportation you'll need. Fully describe your limitations and needs. Get your airline ticket and boarding pass well ahead of time so you don't have to wait in any lines. You'll be able to arrange travel at a discount, get better travel deals, and avoid last minute travel headaches. Click on the website for more tips.

Greyhound Bus Lines offers assistance in traveling at no charge. Greyhound requests that they are notified 48 hours in advance of special accommodations needed. Then, they will contact all necessary employees and other stations to make sure your needs are met. Also, Greyhound may request that you have another person travel with you. This person travels free of charge. For more information, you can visit their site or call the disability information number at 1-800-752-4841.

Southwest Airlines has been consistently praised as one of the best airlines in providing service to the disabled. In 1997, a survey conducted by the World Association of Persons with Disabilities ranked them the number one airline for disabled travelers. The site allows you to make travel reservations, look up schedules, fares, and special offers that the airline provides. If you have a disability, the Reservation Sales Agents are available 24 hours a day to answer questions and aid in preparing your trip. To learn more, visit their site or call them directly at (800) 435-9792 (Voice) or (800) 533-1305 (TDD).

new sign Traveling with a Disability by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Airlines must accommodate the needs of air travelers with disabilities. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a law that makes it illegal for airlines to discriminate against passengers because of their disability. The DOT is responsible for enforcing the ACAA, which applies to all flights to, from, or within the United States. Airlines are also required to provide passengers with disabilities many types of assistance, including wheelchair or other guided assistance to board, deplane, or connect to another flight; seating accommodation assistance that meets passengers� disability-related needs; and assistance with the loading and stowing of assistive devices. DOT has developed a series of disability-related training materials to assist passengers traveling with disabilities better understand their rights. Learn more about traveling on an aircraft with a disability.

new sign Traveling with a Disability Tips from the CDC. If you have a disability and are considering international travel, a little advance planning, including a pre-travel visit with a travel medicine specialist, can enable you to see the world and return home safe and healthy. A travel medicine specialist can help you determine what vaccines and medications you'll need for your trip and give you advice on preventing diseases spread by insects or through food and water. If you have an immune-compromising condition or take certain medicines, you may not be able to get some vaccines, or additional vaccines may be recommended. They can also help you arrange to receive care overseas, if you need it. Check with your insurance company to see if they will cover care received outside the United States. If not, consider buying supplemental travel health insurance. Airlines must make accommodations to give people with disabilities access to the same travel opportunities as people without disabilities, unless doing so would endanger the health or safety of other passengers.

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