How many people with disabilities travel by air?

Approximately 27 million passengers with disabilities traveled by air in 2019, according to DOT. Without accommodations, such as appropriate assistance and communication, passengers with disabilities may face challenges when flying.



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In 2021, the U.S. states with the highest share of the population that had a disability were West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky. At that time, almost 19 percent of the population of West Virginia had some form of disability. The states with the lowest rates of disability were Utah, New Jersey, and California.

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Travelers with disabilities with TSA PreCheck® on their boarding passes will receive TSA PreCheck® on-person screening when screened in a standard lane for any reason. This may happen when the TSA PreCheck® lane is closed, for example.

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Generally, airline personnel may not ask what specific disability the person has, but they can ask questions regarding the person's ability to perform specific air travel-related functions, such as boarding, deplaning or walking through the airport.

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Of note, while anxiety disorders and OCD have been recognized as qualified disabilities, several courts have held that fear of flying itself doesn't rise to that level.

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Skip the queues If you have a disability, you can ask to skip the queue at security as part of your Special Assistance. Alternatively, you can pay a small fee to use priority or 'fast track' security lanes at many airports. It's often cheaper to book this in advance by contacting the airport.

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TSA Cares is a helpline that provides travelers with disabilities, medical conditions and other circumstances, additional assistance during the security screening process. Call 72 hours prior to your travel at (855) 787-2227 on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET and weekends/holidays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

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Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) certain airlines are required to provide certain seating accommodations to qualified passengers with disabilities who self-identify as needing to sit in a certain seat in order to better accommodate their disability-related needs.

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Don't hesitate to ask for accommodations.
Early boarding helps him stay calm, he explains, because standing in line in the jet bridge is intensely stressful for him. It's a simple request: He just asks for priority boarding at check-in, and “80 percent of the time,” he says, the airline is happy to grant his request.

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What are the Rapid Rewards Rules and Regulations? Rapid Rewards is a rewards program offered by Southwest Airlines® Co. for Southwest Airlines Customers.

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So if you only fly on commercial airliners, you're in very safe hands. In the United States, there are 0.07 fatalities per billion passenger miles, which translates like this: If you fly 500 miles every day for a year, you have a fatality risk of one in 85,000. In short, flying is, by far, the safest mode of transit.

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