For people with disabilities, especially a mobility disability, flying can be a nightmare. Between aisle-chair transfer, inaccessible bathrooms, and the outrageous risk of equipment damage in the cargo hold, air travel can create barriers that go far beyond inconvenience.
This article breaks down:
The real impact of wheelchair and scooter damage in air travel
Why mobility devices end up lost, delayed, or damaged
What the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) requires
What the DOT’s 2025 rule changes (effective Jan 16, 2025)
What’s enforced now vs what’s delayed
What’s coming next: training, OBW standards, and lavatory upgrades
About the Author: This piece is written by a disability advocate and author living with a C4 spinal cord injury, drawing on personal experience and community advocacy to advance accessibility and equity.
Accountability for Damaged Mobility Equipment
Every time a wheelchair user boards a plane, they take a risk. Airlines are notorious for breaking mobility equipment. Recent data reveals over 11,000 incidents in 2022, meaning wheelchairs and scooters are being lost, delayed, or damaged while in airline custody. Frequent flyers and wheelchair users report their wheelchairs experiencing damage on 1/3 or even one half of their trips.
The Real-World Cost of Wheelchair Damage
Wheelchair user Emily Voorde, who lives with osteogenesis imperfecta, told USA today that when United Airlines staff crashed her wheelchair on the tarmac, the loaner chair they then provided couldn't even fit through her bathroom door at home.
Wheelchair user John Morris told Business Insider that American Airlines destroyed his custom wheelchair, and then severely damaged its $35,000 replacement during another flight just three weeks later.
A broken wheelchair means loss of independence and dignity. Delayed repairs and inadequate substitutes further exacerbate that loss of autonomy. Sometimes it even leads to injury.
Disability rights activist Engracia Figueroa, whose $30,000 custom wheelchair was severely damaged by United Airlines in July 2021 (forcing her to use ill-fitting manual chairs), reportedly ended up with pressure wounds that led to infection. She died three months later.
How are Wheelchairs being Damaged?
Often power chairs, which can weigh several hundred pounds, are simply dropped by staff. Other times they are not secured properly. When they don't fit upright in the cargo hold, they may be pushed onto their side where they can get smashed.
Airlines hand off repair and replacement to third-party coordinators and vendors who aren’t responsible for the damages and don’t prioritize the repairs. Standard wait times for new mobility equipment to come in and mobility aid repairs to be performed are much too long, at 6-8 weeks.
Negligent coordination of repairs and replacements and broken contract commitments about timelines or loaners are too common. Wheelchair users should be entitled to standards for response times, and comparable loaners.
Recent legislation seeks to hold airlines accountable. Key provisions include quick return of mishandled devices, offering loaner equipment, and allowing passengers to rebook if their device doesn't fit.
Some key Provisions have not been enforced yet as the DOT reevaluates parts of the rule.
What the ACAA Covers – and What the DOT Rule Adds
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) makes it illegal for airlines to discriminate against passengers because of their disability. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for enforcing the ACAA and its implementing disability regulation, which apply to all flights to, from, or within the United States.
The DOT implemented new disability rules effective January 16, 2025, requiring airlines to provide safer, more dignified assistance. This includes:
Mandatory training of personnel
Prompt service for boarding/deplaning
Stricter handling of wheelchairs/scooters
Safe transfers to and from aircraft seats and aisle chairs
Restroom accessibility
Although the official rule took effect earlier, the DOT began strict enforcement of standards on August 1, 2025. Others won't take effect until later in 2026.
What are the new changes that are now being enforced?
Several important provisions of the rule, which went into effect on January 16, 2025, have been enforced since August 1, 2025, providing some positive changes:
Take care to avoid putting passengers at heightened risk of bodily injury, as well as respect their independence, autonomy, and privacy.
Provide prompt assistance to passengers with disabilities during boarding, deplaning, and connecting between flights.
Publish the specific dimensions of their cargo holds on their websites, allowing travelers to determine if their mobility device will fit before booking a flight.
Transport delayed mobility equipment on domestic flights to the passenger's final destination within 24 hours at no cost and reimburse the passenger for any resulting ground transportation costs.
What are the New Changes that have been Delayed?
Enforcement of four critical protections has been paused until at least the end of 2026, limiting the rule's full impact:
Airline Liability for Damage: Automatically presumed liability when a checked wheelchair is damaged
Fare Difference Reimbursements: Reimbursement for the fare difference if their original flight cannot accommodate their device and they must rebook on a more expensive, accessible flight.
Refresher Training Frequency: Increased frequency for required hands-on "refresher" training for airline personnel handling mobility devices
Pre-Departure Notifications: Written notification of passenger’s rights file a claim if their device is mishandled
The DOT maintains that a new "Wheelchair Rule II" rulemaking process is underway to address the above provisions that haven't been enforced this time around.
The DOT continues to enforce pre-existing disability protection rules. Last year they fined American Airlines $50 million for “unsafe and undignified” treatment of passengers with disabilities from 2019 through 2023. The DOT has active investigations into similar potential violations at other U.S. airlines.
New Training and Information Requirements
Starting by June 17, 2026, airline personnel and contractors who physically assist passengers or handle wheelchairs must undergo annual hands-on training. Flight attendants on planes with 60+ seats must receive annual hands-on training. Training includes:
Proper use of the new OBWs
Safe transfer techniques
Assisting passengers to and from the lavatory
Safe handling of mobility equipment
New Performance Standards for On-Board Wheelchairs (OBWs)
Transfers and Stability
Seat height must align with the height of the aircraft seat to facilitate safer transfers for the passenger
Chairs must be designed not to tip in any direction under normal operating condition
Wheels must lock both in the direction of travel and in a stationary position to permit safe transfers
Restraints and Safety Surfaces
Must feature torso and leg restraints that are operable by the passenger and adequate to prevent injury during transport
Feature padded seats and backrests, chairs must be free of sharp or abrasive components
Maneuverability and Support
Must be able to maneuver forward and backward through the aisle and permit partial entry into a lavatory to allow for a direct transfer to the toilet
Arm supports must be structurally sound enough to bear the weight of a passenger during a transfer and must be repositionable for unobstructed movement
By October 2026, all newly purchased or replaced OBWs for aircraft with more than 60 seats must meet these improved standards. All newly delivered single-aisle aircraft (125+ seats) must be equipped with these improved chairs. By October 2031, all OBWs in use on aircraft with more than 60 seats must meet these standards, regardless of when they were purchased.
Mandated Bathroom Upgrades & Timeline
The DOT rule requires progressive changes for single-aisle aircraft with 125 or more seats, Larger twin-aisle planes are already required to have accessible lavatories.
By October 2026 newly delivered aircraft must include grab bars, accessible faucets/controls, accessible call buttons, and door locks usable from a seated position.
They must include a visual barrier (such as a curtain) if an OBW cannot fully enter the lavatory and close the door
Major physical expansion requires all single-aisle planes ordered after 2033 must have at least one lavatory large enough for a passenger and an attendant to maneuver together
All new single-aisle planes delivered after this date must meet these full size requirements by 2035
Airlines must list lavatory accessibility features on their official websites and within the aircraft
The International Symbol of Accessibility must be removed from any lavatories that cannot accommodate an independent transfer from an OBW.
Americans with disabilities can be hopeful that progressive improvements and requirements will change the airline experience, affording passengers the opportunity to travel without unnecessary risks and compromised dignity.
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Additional Information
The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for legal, medical, or other professional advice. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date resources, some information may become outdated or incomplete. Always consult with your provider about personal medical concerns.
