On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has highlighted significant advancements in disability rights under the Biden-Harris Administration. The DOT has made substantial efforts to enhance safety and accessibility within America's transportation system for individuals with disabilities.

The Department outlined several key achievements in its Disability Policy Priorities:

**Safe and Accessible Air Travel**

- The Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights was published, outlining fundamental rights for air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act.

- A final rule on accessible lavatories was established, requiring airlines to ensure new single-aisle aircraft have lavatories large enough for a passenger with a disability and an attendant.

- Accessibility improvements at airports were funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Terminals Program, supporting nearly 150 projects aimed at enhancing terminal access for people with disabilities.

- A proposed rule aims to set new standards for assisting air travelers using wheelchairs, mandating enhanced training for airline staff and contractors, and detailing actions airlines must take when wheelchairs are damaged during transport.

**Multimodal Accessibility of Public Transportation Facilities, Vehicles, and Rights-of-Way**

- Over $1 billion in projects were funded through the All Stations Accessibility Program to ensure public areas are accessible to people with disabilities.

- The U.S. Access Board's Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) were supported, culminating in a final rule published in August 2023.

- An initiative was launched to assist state DOTs in implementing ADA Transition Plans and making these plans more accessible to the public.

- ADA compliance was enforced in existing and new investments at Amtrak stations and rail vehicles. As of April 2024, Amtrak met its ADA responsibilities for 123 stations (32%), up from 105 stations (27%) as of February 2023.

**Foundational Actions**

- Programmatic enforcement of ACAA and ADA requirements was strengthened, including an agreement between the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and United Airlines to improve travel experiences for passengers using wheelchairs. OACP also initiated investigations into multiple airlines for violations of disability protections.

- A new FAQ resource was published to help grant applicants understand accessibility-related requirements throughout transportation project planning processes.