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NCD calls for tougher accessibility standards on airport kiosks

The National Council on Disability has released a position paper, "Access to Airline Self-Service Kiosk Systems," that calls on the U.S. Department of Transportation to adopt an updated Air Carrier Access Act standard for accessible kiosk design.

May 21, 2006

WASHINGTON - The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a position paper, "Access to Airline Self-Service Kiosk Systems," that calls on the U.S. Department of Transportation to adopt an updated Air Carrier Access Act standard for accessible kiosk design. NCD also asked that the department initiate settlement negotiations with covered air carriers and airports to bring their kiosk systems into full compliance.

"U.S. air carriers and airports have obligations under federal accessibility laws and regulations to provide cross-disability access to their kiosk systems," said NCD chairman Lex Frieden. "Those carriers and airports operating kiosk systems not in conformity with the Americans with Disabilities Act's standard for accessible design, which is also ACAA's standard, are out of compliance."

"Advances in information technology have enabled the airline industry to improve the quality and efficiency of its services delivery while reducing operating costs," Frieden added. "But the airlines would leave travelers with disabilities out of the IT loop, failing to offer them the same benefits and convenience of service available to other travelers. The airlines' resistance to providing customer services through fully accessible kiosks and Web sites disregards the capacity of accessible IT to empower people with disabilities to do for themselves."

Kiosk technology is an essential component of the IT-based customer self-service business model that is pervading the air-travel industry. Automated kiosks employed by the industry (frequently called self-service or check-in kiosks) are networked peripheral IT devices whose interfaces give consumers direct access to companies' centralized customer-service systems.

The paper said the air carrier industry has failed to acknowledge its legal obligations to provide equal access to passengers with disabilities, advances in access technology, and the significant economic benefit the industry derives from air travelers with disabilities.