Apparently this is the post that Will Not Die which would be fine if the airline and airport employees who insist on responding would provide accurate information. But apparently actually reading the fucking law that they are required by law to know before spouting off on the internet is too big of an ask.
So, once more for the deliberately ignorant in the back.
Any plane with 100 or more seats that was ordered after April 5, 1990, or which was delivered after April 5, 1992 (for a US airline) or any plane with 100 or more seats that was ordered after May 13, 2009, or delivered after May 13, 2010 (for a foreign carrier) must have a wheelchair closet. (Source) This covers pretty much any aircraft this size still in service in the US. If your aircraft has over 100 seats, was ordered/built after these dates, and somehow miraculously doesn’t have a wheelchair closet, by law you have to strap the wheelchair to seats on the plane even if that means you have to pull passengers off the flight to make room. (Source)
While §382.67 says the closet/designated storage space must be sized to hold a folding or break-down manual wheelchair that collapses down to 13″ x 32″ x 46″ or smaller, it does not specifically say that a wheelchair must be manual to go into this closet. And §382.123 never mentions the word “manual” at all. In fact, both parts of the law specifically state that this closet is designated for storage of wheelchairs and any other assistive device that fits in that closet.
There are now collapsible power chairs on the market that weigh as little as 50lbs and fold down to smaller than these dimensions, and many scooters are quite lightweight and fold and/or break down to fairly small dimensions as well. Clearly scooters and power chairs are assistive devices. So unless you can prove that folding power chair/scooter is an actual safety risk due to weight - which would be a hell of an argument to try to make considering how much personal luggage the flight attendants generally jam into the wheelchair closet - denying disabled people the right to store their collapsible lightweight power chairs and scooters in the wheelchair closet is against the law.
A manual chair may or may not have priority over a folding power chair, depending on how you read the law. It definitely would have priority over a folding power scooter. But a folding power chair or collapsible scooter, if it fits in the closet, still has priority over flight crew luggage, the aisle chair, passenger luggage, passenger coats, or any other item that is not a passenger’s personal assistive device, as long as the passenger pre-boards. So unless a passenger with a folding manual chair is on the same flight, puts their chair in the wheelchair closet, and that manual chair fills all of the available space in that closet, a lightweight folding power chair or scooter definitely has priority in that closet along with any other assistive device, as long as it fits in the closet and you preboard.
Pro Tip: Assistive devices go into the wheelchair closet on a first come, first served basis. Want to be sure your assistive device fits in the closet? Make sure you’re the first in line to preboard. Of course if you have a walker, collapsible scooter, etc., a wheelchair user can come swanning up at the last minute and potentially use all the space if it’s a small wheelchair closet (because wheelchairs get priority), but I’ve actually always been the only person preboarding with their own collapsible wheelchair, so chances are pretty damn good you’re going to get to put your assistive device in that closet.
“§382.67 What is the requirement for priority space in the cabin to store passengers’ wheelchairs?
“(a) As a carrier, you must ensure that there is priority space (i.e., a closet, or a row of seats where a wheelchair may be strapped using a strap kit that complies with applicable Federal Aviation Administration or applicable foreign government regulations on the stowage of cargo in the cabin compartment) in the cabin of sufficient size to stow at least one typical adult-sized folding, collapsible, or break-down manual passenger wheelchair, the dimensions of which are 13 inches by 36 inches by 42 inches or less without having to remove the wheels or otherwise disassemble it. This section applies to any aircraft with 100 or more passenger seats and this space must be other than the overhead compartments and under-seat spaces routinely used for passengers’ carry-on items.
“( c ) If you are a carrier that uses a closet as the priority space to stow a manual passenger wheelchair, you must install a sign or placard prominently on the closet indicating that such wheelchairs and other assistive devices are to be stowed in this area with priority over other items brought onto the aircraft by other passengers or crew, including crew luggage, as set forth in §382.123.”
Ҥ382.123 What are the requirements concerning priority cabin stowage for wheelchairs and other assistive devices?
“(a) The following rules apply to the stowage of passengers’ wheelchairs or other assistive devices in the priority stowage area provided for in §382.67 of this part:
“(1) You must ensure that a passenger with a disability who uses a wheelchair and takes advantage of the opportunity to preboard the aircraft can stow his or her wheelchair in this area, with priority over other items brought onto the aircraft by other passengers or crew enplaning at the same airport, consistent with FAA, PHMSA, TSA, or applicable foreign government requirements concerning security, safety, and hazardous materials with respect to the stowage of carry-on items. You must move items that you or your personnel have placed in the priority stowage area (e.g., crew luggage, an on-board wheelchair) to make room for the passenger’s wheelchair, even if these items were stowed in the priority stowage area before the passenger seeking to stow a wheelchair boarded the aircraft (e.g., the items were placed there on a previous leg of the flight).
(2) You must also ensure that a passenger with a disability who takes advantage of the opportunity to preboard the aircraft can stow other assistive devices in this area, with priority over other items (except wheelchairs) brought onto the aircraft by other passengers enplaning at the same airport consistent with FAA, PHMSA, TSA, or applicable foreign government requirements concerning security, safety, and hazardous materials with respect to the stowage of carry-on items.“
gummygunk
annaxmalina
kaledo-art
discoholicmusic
areudirty
romaincrisis
titsay
