11/13: Register today for the rescheduled CCDA and Pacific ADA Center collaborative webinar: Emergency Preparedness: Integrating Access into Business Resiliency and Adaptation Plans

11/14: Now accepting speaker proposals for 2026 Pacific ADA Center Virtual Conference

01/12 - 01/16: Registration is now open for the January 2026 CASp Exam Preparation Course!

DOT will not enforce key provisions of rule providing protections for airline passengers who use wheelchairs

Posted on October 8, 2025


The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said it will not enforce key provisions of a rule issued in December that requires new consumer protections for passengers with disabilities who use wheelchairs or scooters.

The Department is writing a new rule and will not enforce the current rule’s requirements, including that airlines:

  • Are liable for mishandled wheelchairs,
  • Reimburse passengers using wheelchairs or scooters the difference between a fare on a flight taken and the fare the passenger would have paid on a flight if their device could have fit in the cabin or cargo compartment of a different aircraft, and
  • Notify passengers about their rights in writing when they are checking wheelchairs or scooters.

For more information, see “US will not enforce Biden wheelchair passenger protection rule“.

Close window