Airlines will now be required to make bathrooms on their planes more accessible for the disabled, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.
The new rule, authorized under the Air Carrier Access Act, requires airlines to make lavatories on any new single-aisle aircraft large enough to allow a passenger with a disability and an attendant to maneuver within the aircraft's lavatory.
"Traveling can be stressful enough without worrying about being able to access a restroom; yet today, millions of wheelchair users are forced to choose between dehydrating themselves before boarding a plane or avoiding air travel altogether," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an agency news release. "We are proud to announce this rule that will make airplane bathrooms larger and more accessible, ensuring travelers in wheelchairs are afforded the same access and dignity as the rest of the traveling public."
Other new DOT measures that aim to increase disabled access in transportation will:
More information
For more on airline passenger rights, see the U.S. Department of Transportation.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, news release, July 26, 2023