On August 5, the Department of Transportation (DOT) supplemented regulations for airport terminals receiving federal funding to improve access for passengers with disabilities, including those who use service animals. Under the new rules, at least one relief area for service animals must be provided in each terminal within one year. Airports must consult service animal training organizations on the relief area’s design, size, and maintenance.
Provisions also improve access for people with hearing or mobility disabilities. High-contrast captioning is required at all times on airport TV and audio-visual display screens with captioning functionality. In addition, existing requirements for boarding access by lift or ramp where level-entry loading bridges is not available are reorganized and their application broadened to cover foreign carriers in addition to U.S. carriers. The rule revises regulations issued under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires access to programs and services that are funded or conducted by federal agencies, and is consistent with requirements DOT issued previously under the Air Carrier Access Act.
The new rule is available on regulations.gov. For further information, contact DOT at (202) 366-9342.