Hotline for Air Travelers
with Disabilities

Toll-Free Number for Travelers with Disabilities: 800-778-4838

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has a hotline dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities understand what to expect, their rights, and address issues involved with travel on airplanes.

Wheelchair travelers who experience airline service problems or need information about planning for an upcoming trip may speak to a representative by calling 800-778-4838. This line is staffed Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST . If you call after hours, you may leave a message and someone will return your call to address your issues.

The hotline was set up to help travelers:

Learn what to expect when boarding and flying with a wheelchair
Find out about airline facilities and accommodations provided for wheelchair travelers
Gain an understanding of consumer rights, as well as airline company’ responsibilities
Get real-time assistance with disability-related air travel problems (this includes calling from an airport at the time a problem occurs)

The role of the DOT hotline representative is to work with the airlines to facilitate compliance with the DOT’s rules for wheelchair travelers. The representative will the offer airlines customer-service solutions help resolve situations as they occur and ensure that disabled travelers' rights are respected.

In addition, disabled air travelers may call the hotline after a trip to voice a concern or complaint if they were not able to make contact in transit. Printed copies of consumer information that details wheelchair travelers rights may be obtained by calling the DOT hotline.

It is important to note that the Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel. A summary of the DOT rule (Title 14 CFR Part 382) can be found by visiting clicking on this link: Passengers with Disabilities.

Before embarking on a trip, travelers are advised to call their air carrier to provide advance notice for wheelchair assistance with boarding and deplaning – and between connecting flights.