The National Academies Press

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From page 9... ... 9 1 Introduction Wheelchair securement systems for passenger use in airplane cabins are intuitively appealing as a solution to many of the hardships that people with disabilities and who are nonambulatory face when flying. Such systems are currently used and designed in accordance with widely accepted safety standards for public and private modes of surface transportation, including cars, vans, and transit buses. Read the entire page →
From page 10... ... 10 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL uncomfortable, and unsafe that they fly rarely, if at all. If wheelchair securement systems could be installed in airplane cabins and made sufficiently safe and available by scheduled airlines, more people who are nonambulatory would be able to benefit from air travel, and when doing so, they would retain more independence and dignity while experiencing less discomfort and risk of injury. Read the entire page →
From page 11... ... INTRODUCTION 11 inform choices about whether and how to plan follow-on evaluations of this concept, with the goal of expanding air travel opportunities for people with significant disabilities. Congress's specific motivations for mandating a feasibility study are not clear, but public interest in extending transportation accommodations to people who have significant disabilities has been growing since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Read the entire page →
From page 12... ... 12 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL passenger seat is not possible at all. For some of these individuals, and for some others who can fly but avoid doing so because of the risks and problems encountered, long-distance trips for work, family gatherings, medical care, and recreation may need to be made using other modes of passenger transportation that are more time-consuming and potentially less safe.6 Boarding and Deplaning Problems Based on a survey by the U.S. Read the entire page →
From page 13... ... INTRODUCTION 13 million passengers in total;10 hence, passengers who checked wheelchairs and scooters accounted for about 0.1 percent of all enplaned passengers. People who use wheelchairs differ in their ability to board and deplane an airplane. Read the entire page →
From page 14... ... 14 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL • The transfer at the gate to and from the boarding chair can cause strain, discomfort, and in some cases injury to the occupant. • Boarding chairs frequently lack sufficient back support for the passenger and can be unstable on passenger boarding bridges. Read the entire page →
From page 15... ... INTRODUCTION 15 thermore, many power wheelchairs, and some manual wheelchairs, can tilt, recline, and elevate the leg rests. A passenger airplane seat, of course, does not offer these seating functions, which are necessary for pressure relief and other medical reasons. Read the entire page →
From page 16... ... 16 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL wheelchairs with sufficient customer assistance.21 This complaint category includes long waits for assistance to deplane, which can cause pain and discomfort for passengers, as well as missed connections or missed prearranged appointments with ground transportation providers. Indeed, instances have been reported in media accounts of passengers receiving no assistance with deplaning.22 Advocates for people with disabilities point to the stress that can be associated with air travel for people who use wheelchairs. Read the entire page →
From page 17... ... INTRODUCTION 17 STUDY ORIGINS AND CHARGE As noted previously, Congress mandated this study by calling on the U.S. Access Board to study "(1) Read the entire page →
From page 18... ... 18 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL BOX 1-1 Statement of Task The study will assess and evaluate the conditions under which it may be technically feasible to equip passenger aircraft with in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems, including assessments of the following: a. design, engineering, and safety requirements for installation and use of the in-cabin restraint systems (e.g., any locking or tiedown mechanisms) Read the entire page →
From page 19... ... INTRODUCTION 19 STUDY SCOPE To fulfill its charge, the committee had to consider and reach agreement on the types of determinations and advice expected from the study; issues that should be considered within and outside the study scope; and the kinds of circumstances that could be deemed "reasonable" for judging concept feasibility. After careful readings of the Statement of Task and legislative mandate, multiple consultations with the study sponsor on the study's purpose and goals, and requests for information from airlines, airplane manufacturers, assistive technology companies, people with disabilities and their advocates, and other experts and interested parties, the committee made the following decisions. Read the entire page →
From page 20... ... 20 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL use wheelchairs and currently have little, if any, opportunity to fly. Hence, the study's focus is on securement systems that could provide "meaningful" access to flying, which requires more than a few flight offerings in a few high-demand markets, but does not require complete, network-wide access.25 Likewise, the committee decided that a critical element of the concept is that it could enable people to fly seated in a wheelchair optimized to their own physical and medical needs and not require a wheelchair designed exclusively and specifically for airplane use, which could limit the utility of in-cabin wheelchair securements. Read the entire page →
From page 21... ... INTRODUCTION 21 be more serious than an inconvenience. Likewise, reliable and sufficient customer service assistance would need to be available to passengers who choose to use the systems. Read the entire page →
From page 22... ... 22 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL its charge, however, the committee considered how FAA crashworthiness criteria should apply to wheelchairs, as with airplane seats, to ensure that secured wheelchairs do not become damaged in a crash and obstruct cabin evacuations. Significantly, the committee did not consider whether a technically feasible in-cabin wheelchair securement system should be installed on airplanes. Read the entire page →
From page 23... ... INTRODUCTION 23 beyond this preliminary feasibility review. For example, assuming the number of wheelchair securement places on an airplane is limited, their use by passengers who can otherwise transfer to and from an airplane seat could make availability scarcer for people who cannot transfer and who are more likely to use a power wheelchair. Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... 24 WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT CONCEPT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL cabin and seating systems to protect passengers and crew in the event of impacts from a crash or emergency landing. Understanding how a secured wheelchair would perform during such an event, when considering the safety of the wheelchair occupant and other airplane passengers and crew, is imperative. Read the entire page →

From page 9...

... 9 1 Introduction Wheelchair securement systems for passenger use in airplane cabins are intuitively appealing as a solution to many of the hardships that people with disabilities and who are nonambulatory face when flying. Such systems are currently used and designed in accordance with widely accepted safety standards for public and private modes of surface transportation, including cars, vans, and transit buses.