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Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA): disability rights when you fly
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is the federal law that bars airlines from discriminating against a qualified person with a disability (49 U.S.C. 41705, (a)). The Department of Transportation (DOT) carries it out through 14 CFR Part 382, which covers U.S. airlines on all their flights and foreign airlines on flights that begin or end at a U.S. airport (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7). The rule bars airlines from charging for the facilities, equipment and services it requires (14 CFR Part 382, 382.31), and ADA.gov points to the ACAA, not to the ADA, for disability discrimination during air travel (ADA.gov, Introduction to the ADA).
This guide summarizes the sources it cites; it is not legal advice. The official texts are the reference.
What the ACAA is and which airlines it covers
The statute says an air carrier, including a foreign air carrier subject to section 40105(b) of the same title, may not discriminate against an otherwise qualified individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, who has a record of such an impairment, or who is regarded as having one (49 U.S.C. 41705, (a)). For the purposes of section 46301, a separate violation occurs for each individual act of discrimination (49 U.S.C. 41705, (b)).
Part 382 is DOT’s regulation under the Act. It says its purpose is to carry out the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986, as amended, by prohibiting U.S. and foreign carriers from discriminating on the basis of disability (14 CFR Part 382, 382.1). ADA.gov tells readers that disability discrimination during air travel is prohibited by this Act and sends complaints to DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (ADA.gov, Introduction to the ADA). The ADA’s own standards for restrooms, ramps and service animals are therefore not where to look for an airline’s duties; Part 382 is.
| Airline or flight | Does Part 382 apply? |
|---|---|
| A U.S. airline | Yes, to all its operations and aircraft, wherever they take place (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7(a)) |
| A foreign airline, on a flight that begins or ends at a U.S. airport | Yes. A flight means a continuous journey in the same aircraft or with one flight number that begins or ends at a U.S. airport (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7(b)) |
| A foreign airline, on a flight between two foreign points | No, even when the flight is a code-share with a U.S. airline. In that case the U.S. airline is responsible for the service provisions for passengers traveling under its code (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7(c)) |
| A contractor of the airline that serves the public | The airline must make sure its contractors meet the requirements, and it is not a defense that the failure was a contractor’s (14 CFR Part 382, 382.15(a), (e)) |
Unless a provision names only U.S. or only foreign airlines, it applies to both (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7(e)). Airlines must also comply with FAA safety rules, TSA security rules and legally binding foreign safety and security rules, whatever Part 382 says (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7(g)).
The core rules: no discrimination, no advance notice, no fees
| Rule | What Part 382 says |
|---|---|
| No discrimination | An airline may not discriminate against a qualified person with a disability in providing air transportation, may not exclude them from services available to others even when separate services exist, and may not take adverse action, such as refusing transportation, because they assert their rights (14 CFR Part 382, 382.11(a)) |
| No unrequested special services | An airline may not require you to accept a special service you did not request, such as preboarding. It may require preboarding as a condition of receiving certain seating or in-cabin stowage accommodations (14 CFR Part 382, 382.11(a)(2)) |
| Safe and dignified help | The assistance an airline provides must be performed in a safe and dignified manner (14 CFR Part 382, 382.11(b)) |
| No notice that you have a disability | An airline may not require advance notice that you are traveling with a disability, and may not require advance notice for a service except where Part 382 lists it (14 CFR Part 382, 382.25, 14 CFR Part 382, 382.27(a)) |
| No fees for required help | An airline may not charge you for the facilities, equipment or services Part 382 requires. It may charge for services the rule does not require, and for more than one seat if your size or condition means you occupy more than one (14 CFR Part 382, 382.31) |
| No waivers | An airline may not make you sign a release or waiver of liability as a condition of transportation or of a service. That includes waivers for damage to or loss of wheelchairs and other assistive devices, and for loss, death or injury of service animals (14 CFR Part 382, 382.35) |
| Refusals | An airline may not refuse to carry you because your disability produces an appearance or involuntary behavior that may offend, annoy or inconvenience crew or passengers. A safety refusal needs an individualized assessment showing a direct threat, with the least restrictive response, and the airline must give you a written statement of the specific basis within 10 calendar days (14 CFR Part 382, 382.19) |
Advance notice is allowed only for the services Part 382 lists. If you do not give the notice, the airline must still provide the service if it can do so with reasonable efforts and without delaying the flight (14 CFR Part 382, 382.27(g)).
| Service | Notice an airline may require |
|---|---|
| Ventilator, respirator, CPAP machine or portable oxygen concentrator | 48 hours, and check-in one hour before the general public (14 CFR Part 382, 382.27(b)(2)) |
| Oxygen supplied by the airline, an optional service | Up to 72 hours on international flights and 48 hours on domestic flights; the airline is not required to offer this service (14 CFR Part 382, 382.27(b)(1)) |
| A service animal | Up to 48 hours, by submitting the DOT forms, if the reservation was made more than 48 hours before departure. If it was made later, no advance notice may be required, but the airline may ask for the forms at the gate (14 CFR Part 382, 382.27(b)(3), 14 CFR Part 382, 382.75(g)) |
| A passenger who has both a severe vision and a severe hearing impairment and wants to travel without a safety assistant | At least 48 hours, to explain how they will communicate; if the notice is missed, the airline must still accommodate them to the extent practicable (14 CFR Part 382, 382.27(c)(8), 14 CFR Part 382, 382.29(b)(4)) |
An airline may require a safety assistant, if it determines the assistant is essential for safety, only in four cases: a person traveling in a stretcher or incubator, a person who because of a mental disability cannot understand safety instructions, a person whose mobility impairment is so severe that they cannot physically assist in their own evacuation, and a person with both a severe hearing and a severe vision impairment who cannot establish adequate means of communication with the crew (14 CFR Part 382, 382.29(a)-(b)). Concern that you may need personal care, such as help in the lavatory or with eating, is not a reason to require an assistant (14 CFR Part 382, 382.29(f)). For the last three cases, if the airline requires an assistant against your own assessment that you can travel independently, it may not charge for the assistant’s transportation; an attendant you choose to bring voluntarily may be charged (14 CFR Part 382, 382.29(c)).
What Part 382 says for blind and low-vision travelers
Part 382 has no section only for blind passengers. The provisions below are the ones that name vision or that a blind traveler is most likely to use. They are what the rule requires; whether an airline or an airport meets them on a given day is a different question.
| Topic | What Part 382 says |
|---|---|
| The airline’s website | A U.S. or foreign airline with at least one aircraft of more than 60 seats and a primary website marketing air travel to the U.S. public must make its public pages conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA: the core pages (booking, check-in, itinerary, flight status, frequent flyer account, schedules, contact information) by December 12, 2015, and the rest by December 12, 2016. It must test the site with disabled users, and may use an alternate version only when conforming a page would be an undue burden or would fundamentally alter it (14 CFR Part 382, 382.43(c)(1)-(3)) |
| If you cannot use the website | The airline must assist you when you contact it another way, disclose web-based discount fares if you qualify, and waive any fee for booking by another method, unless that fee applies to others buying the same fare online (14 CFR Part 382, 382.43(c)(4)) |
| Requesting help for a future flight | The website must offer a way to request accommodation services for future flights, including escort assistance for a visually impaired passenger (14 CFR Part 382, 382.43(d)) |
| Self-service kiosks | At a U.S. airport with 10,000 or more enplanements a year, at least 25 percent of the kiosks an airline owns, leases or controls in each location had to meet the accessible design specifications by December 12, 2022, and they must provide the same functions as the other kiosks. You get priority access to an accessible one if you ask (14 CFR Part 382, 382.57(a)). The specifications include an option for speech output, controls that can be found by touch without being activated, raised symbols on the function keys, a tactilely distinct F, J and 5 key, and Braille instructions for starting the speech mode, which must comply with section 703.3 of the 2010 ADA Standards (14 CFR Part 382, 382.57(c)) |
| Information at the airport | If you identify yourself as needing visual or hearing assistance, you must get prompt access to the same information others get at gates, ticketing areas and customer service desks the airline owns, leases or controls: safety, check-in, delays and cancellations, schedule changes, boarding, connections, gate assignments, baggage, paging and emergencies. Baggage-claim information must reach you no later than it reaches other passengers (14 CFR Part 382, 382.53) |
| Topic | What Part 382 says |
|---|---|
| Help getting through the airport | Assistance, when requested by you or on your behalf, or offered and accepted, between connecting gates and from the terminal entrance to the gate and back, including ticket counters and baggage claim. An escort to the animal relief area on request and help carrying luggage if you cannot because of a disability (14 CFR Part 382, 382.91) |
| Preboarding | Offered to passengers who identify themselves at the gate as needing additional time or assistance to board, to stow accessibility equipment or to be seated (14 CFR Part 382, 382.93) |
| A seat for your reader or assistant | An adjoining seat for a person who will perform functions for a passenger with a vision impairment during the flight (14 CFR Part 382, 382.81(b)(2)) |
| Help with food | On request, or when offered and accepted: help preparing to eat, such as opening packages and identifying food (14 CFR Part 382, 382.111(b)) |
| Information on board | Effective communication with passengers with vision impairments, so they have prompt access to what is given to others, and the same information as other passengers: safety, delays, diversion, weather at destination, beverage and menu information, connecting gates and baggage claim (14 CFR Part 382, 382.111(f), 14 CFR Part 382, 382.119) |
| The safety briefing | An individual safety briefing where FAA rules require it, as inconspicuously and discreetly as possible, without requiring you to demonstrate understanding beyond what is required of all passengers (14 CFR Part 382, 382.115) |
| Canes and vision devices | Canes, including those used by people with impaired vision, and other assistive devices, including vision-enhancing devices, may come into the cabin if they can be stowed in priority storage areas, overhead compartments or under seats, within safety, security and hazardous-materials rules. Assistive devices do not count toward a carry-on limit (14 CFR Part 382, 382.121) |
| Staff training | Airlines operating aircraft with 19 or more passenger seats must train staff to recognize requests for effective communication from people with vision or hearing impairments. For a passenger who is deaf-blind, accepted means include passing out Braille cards if the airline has them, reading an information sheet the passenger provides, or communicating through an interpreter (14 CFR Part 382, 382.141(a)(2)) |
For a blind traveler who is not sure what to ask for, the ones that matter most in practice are the request for escort assistance when booking, identifying yourself at the gate to get preboarding and the information listed in section 382.53, and asking for an adjoining seat if someone is going to read or assist during the flight. For the wider picture of planning a trip, see accessible travel.
Guide dogs on planes
Part 382 defines a service animal as a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. Animals of other species, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals and service animals in training are not service animals for the purposes of Part 382 (14 CFR Part 382, 382.3). This definition comes from a final rule published December 10, 2020, effective January 11, 2021 (85 FR 79742, service animal final rule). The handler is responsible for the dog’s control, care and supervision, including toileting and feeding (14 CFR Part 382, 382.3).
| Topic | What Part 382 says |
|---|---|
| Must the airline accept it? | Yes. It must allow a service animal to accompany a passenger with a disability, and may not deny transportation because of the dog’s breed or type, or because carrying it may offend or annoy others (14 CFR Part 382, 382.72) |
| What staff may ask | Two questions: whether the dog is required because of a disability, and what work or task it has been trained to perform. No questions about the nature or extent of the disability and no demonstration. Staff may observe the dog’s behavior and look for a harness or vest, and may require it to be harnessed, leashed or tethered (14 CFR Part 382, 382.73) |
| Forms | An airline may require the current DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, completed on or after the ticket purchase date, and on a flight segment scheduled for 8 hours or more the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form. It may not require other documentation, except to comply with federal agency, U.S. territory or foreign jurisdiction requirements. If it requires the forms, it must have copies at each airport it serves and available in an accessible format on its website (14 CFR Part 382, 382.75) |
| Number of animals | An airline does not have to accept more than two service animals for one passenger (14 CFR Part 382, 382.74) |
| Check-in | An airline may not require you to check in at the airport in person because you have a service animal (14 CFR Part 382, 382.76) |
| Space and seat | The airline must let the dog go on your lap or in your foot space, unless that conflicts with FAA or foreign-government safety requirements or encroaches on another passenger’s space. Before refusing a large dog, the airline must offer to move you within the same class of service, if a seat is available where the dog fits. If there is no alternative, it must offer free carriage in the cargo hold, or a later flight to the extent there is space and the transport is consistent with FAA or foreign-government safety requirements (14 CFR Part 382, 382.77). You may ask for a bulkhead or non-bulkhead seat (14 CFR Part 382, 382.81(c)) |
| Charges | No charge for transporting a service animal. The airline may charge for damage the animal causes if it normally charges other passengers for similar damage (14 CFR Part 382, 382.78) |
| Refusal | Only for a direct threat (judged individually, independent of breed), significant disruption or behavior showing the dog is not trained to behave in public, a violation of a federal, territorial or foreign safety or health requirement, or failure to provide the current forms. The airline must give a written statement of the reason at the airport or within 10 calendar days (14 CFR Part 382, 382.79) |
| Relief areas | Airlines must provide animal relief areas with the airport operator, and escort you to one on request (14 CFR Part 382, 382.51(a)(5), 14 CFR Part 382, 382.91(c)) |
The ADA’s definition of a service animal at businesses is a separate rule; see ADA service animals. How guide dogs are trained, bred and placed is in our article Guide Dogs: Seeing Eye Dogs, Breeds, Training, Getting One. Because Part 382 counts only dogs, an airline is not required by this part to carry a miniature guide horse; our article Guide Horses: Miniature Horses, the ADA and Air Travel covers that case.
Wheelchairs: the rule and the enforcement pause
DOT published a final rule, “Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers With Disabilities Using Wheelchairs,” on December 17, 2024, effective January 16, 2025 (89 FR 102398, wheelchair final rule). Its provisions are in the current text of Part 382 (14 CFR Part 382). Since then DOT has announced, in Federal Register notices, that it is using enforcement discretion for some of them; we read the two below. These are announcements about enforcement, not amendments to the regulation, so the text of Part 382 still contains the provisions.
| Notice | What it says |
|---|---|
| September 30, 2025 (90 FR 46751) | Delays enforcement of 382.125(e), 382.130(a), 382.132 and 382.141(a)(6) until December 31, 2026. These cover airline liability for mishandled wheelchairs, the frequency of refresher training, pre-departure notifications and fare-difference reimbursements. The notice says it does not affect enforcement of the other requirements of the wheelchair rule (90 FR 46751, enforcement discretion) |
| August 4, 2026 (91 FR 49272) | Extends that delay to April 30, 2027 and adds the once-every-12-months hands-on training for flight attendants on on-board wheelchair assistance and lavatory accessibility (382.63(h)(1)). The notice says it does not affect enforcement of the other requirements of the Accessible Lavatory Rule (91 FR 49272, enforcement discretion) |
| What comes next | DOT says these provisions will be addressed in an upcoming rulemaking titled “Airline Obligations to Accommodate Air Travelers with Disabilities Using Wheelchairs” (Wheelchair Rule II) (91 FR 49272, enforcement discretion) |
Each notice says it does not affect enforcement of the other requirements, and none of the provisions it names is one of the rules above on advance notice, fees, service animals, kiosks or information for blind passengers. If you rely on a wheelchair provision, check the current state of these notices before you travel.
How to complain: the CRO, the airline and DOT
- Ask for the Complaints Resolution Official (CRO). Airlines using aircraft with 19 or more passenger seats must designate CROs, and a U.S. airline must make one available at each airport it serves during all times it operates there, in person or by phone at no cost to you, including by TTY. Staff must tell you right away that you have a right to contact a CRO, and either contact one or give you a means to, in a format you can use (14 CFR Part 382, 382.151).
- The CRO’s answer. The CRO must take action or give you a written statement of the facts and of the steps taken or the reasons for none, and tell you of your right to pursue enforcement action with DOT. This happens in person at the airport if possible, otherwise within 30 calendar days of the complaint (14 CFR Part 382, 382.153).
- Write to the airline. The airline must respond to a written complaint sent by any means. Say whether you contacted a CRO, with the name and date, and enclose any written CRO response. The airline need not respond if the complaint is postmarked or sent more than 45 days after the incident, except complaints referred by DOT. Its response must come within 30 days of receipt, say whether it admits or denies a violation, and tell you of your right to pursue enforcement action with DOT (14 CFR Part 382, 382.155).
- Complain to DOT. You may file an informal complaint with DOT no later than 6 months after the incident, or a formal complaint under 14 CFR Part 302; to make sure DOT will investigate, file the formal complaint within six months of the incident (14 CFR Part 382, 382.159). By statute, DOT must investigate a complaint of a violation within 120 days of receiving it and give you and the airline a written determination on whether the law was violated, the facts, and any action it is taking (49 U.S.C. 41705, (c)(1)). DOT must also publish disability-related complaint data (49 U.S.C. 41705, (c)(2)).
An airline’s website must tell consumers they can get a copy of Part 382 in an accessible format from DOT, and the rule text lists a Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities at 1-800-778-4838 (voice) and 1-800-455-9880 (TTY) (14 CFR Part 382, 382.45(b)). Those numbers are as printed in the rule; check DOT’s current page before you rely on them. Airlines with at least one aircraft of more than 60 seats must also send DOT an annual report of the disability-related complaints they received and keep their records of each complaint for three years (14 CFR Part 382, 382.157).
The ACAA in the air, Braillito Maps on the ground
The ACAA decides what an airline owes a passenger. It does not tell a traveler walking to the airport hotel, the café near the terminal or the museum on a layover whether the entrance has a ramp or a step, whether the door is wide enough or whether the restroom is accessible. Braillito Maps is a free community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.
Each question is answered yes, no or no data until someone knows. A yes means that someone who went reported it; it is not an assessment of whether an airline or an airport meets the ACAA. The score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, always shown with its number, never by color alone. If a place is missing, add it with its answers; if what a place says is wrong, report it. Meet Braillito Maps.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Air Carrier Access Act apply to foreign airlines?
Yes, but only on flights that begin or end at a U.S. airport. Flights between two foreign points are not covered, even when they are code-shares with a U.S. airline, in which case the U.S. airline is responsible for the service provisions for passengers traveling under its code (14 CFR Part 382, 382.7).
Do I have to tell the airline I am blind before I fly?
No. An airline may not require advance notice that you are traveling with a disability, and may require advance notice only for the services Part 382 lists (14 CFR Part 382, 382.25, 14 CFR Part 382, 382.27). If you want help, such as escort assistance, asking when you book lets the airline plan, and its website must offer a way to ask (14 CFR Part 382, 382.43(d)).
Can an airline charge me for assistance or for my guide dog?
Not for the facilities, equipment or services Part 382 requires (14 CFR Part 382, 382.31), and not for transporting a service animal (14 CFR Part 382, 382.78). It may charge for a service the rule does not require.
Can an airline make me travel with a companion?
Only in four cases, such as a person with both a severe vision and a severe hearing impairment who has no adequate means of communication. Blindness alone is not one of them (14 CFR Part 382, 382.29). If it requires one against your own assessment that you can travel independently, it may not charge for the assistant’s transportation (14 CFR Part 382, 382.29(c)).
What counts as a service animal on a plane?
A dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Other species, emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training are not service animals under Part 382 (14 CFR Part 382, 382.3).
Can an airline refuse to fly me because I am blind?
Not because of the disability itself or because it may offend, annoy or inconvenience others. A safety refusal needs an individualized assessment showing a direct threat, and the airline must give you a written statement of its specific reason within 10 calendar days (14 CFR Part 382, 382.19).
How long do I have to complain?
A written complaint to the airline need not be answered if sent more than 45 days after the incident (14 CFR Part 382, 382.155). To make sure DOT will investigate, file a formal complaint with DOT within six months of the incident (14 CFR Part 382, 382.159).
Is the ACAA the same as the ADA?
No. ADA.gov says disability discrimination during air travel is prohibited by the Air Carrier Access Act and directs complaints to DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (ADA.gov, Introduction to the ADA). For businesses on the ground, see the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Is DOT enforcing the wheelchair rule?
Partly. DOT has announced that it is delaying enforcement of some provisions until April 30, 2027, while the rest of the wheelchair rule is not affected by the notices (90 FR 46751, enforcement discretion, 91 FR 49272, enforcement discretion). The text of Part 382 still contains the provisions.
More accessibility guides
- Accessible travel: your rights on flights in the US and the EU, accessible hotel rooms, and what to ask before you book.
- ADA service animals: what counts as one, the two questions staff may ask, and when one can be asked to leave.
- Guide dogs: how they work, where they can go under the ADA, and how to act around one.
- Americans with Disabilities Act: who counts as having a disability, what each of the five titles covers, who enforces it and what it leaves to other laws.
- ADA paratransit: who qualifies, the 3/4 mile service area, fares up to twice the bus fare, next-day booking, companions and how to apply.
- Accessibility laws by country: the ADA, the UK Equality Act, the Accessible Canada Act, Australia’s DDA and the EU rules, and what each covers.
- Section 504: who has to follow it, how it differs from the ADA, what its regulations ask of schools and public programs, how complaints work and what HHS has changed for the web.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read on November 2, 2026.
- 14 CFR Part 382, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel. U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current text, up to date as of October 29, 2026; read November 2, 2026.
- Introduction to the ADA. U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, ADA.gov, read November 2, 2026.
- Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers With Disabilities Using Wheelchairs, notification of enforcement discretion, 90 FR 46751. U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Federal Register, published September 30, 2025; read November 2, 2026.
- Accessible Lavatories on Single-Aisle Aircraft and Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers With Disabilities Using Wheelchairs, notification of enforcement discretion, 91 FR 49272. U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Federal Register, published August 4, 2026; read November 2, 2026.
- 49 U.S.C. 41705, Discrimination against individuals with disabilities. U.S. Government Publishing Office, U.S. Code, 2024 Edition, 2024 Edition of the U.S. Code; read November 2, 2026.
- Traveling by Air With Service Animals, final rule, 85 FR 79742. U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Federal Register, published December 10, 2020, effective January 11, 2021; read November 2, 2026.
- Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers With Disabilities Using Wheelchairs, final rule, 89 FR 102398. U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Federal Register, published December 17, 2024, effective January 16, 2025; read November 2, 2026.
Braillito Maps
Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps
In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.
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