14 CFR Part 382 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel (Air Carrier Access Act): Preamble and Section-by-Section Analysis (with amendments issued through July 2010)

382.119 What information must carriers give individuals with vision or hearing impairment on aircraft? This section requires that carriers ensure that passengers with a disability who identify themselves as needing visual or hearing assistance have prompt access to the same information provided to other passengers on the aircraft. In providing this information, carriers are not required to take steps that would interfere with crewmembers’ safety duties as set forth in FAA and applicable foreign regulations.

The covered information includes, but is not limited to, information concerning flight safety, procedures for takeoff and landing, flight delays, schedule or aircraft changes that affect the travel of persons with disabilities, diversion to a different airport, scheduled departure and arrival time, boarding information, weather conditions at the flight’s destination, beverage and menu information, connecting gate assignments, baggage claim (e.g., at which carousel an arriving flight’s bags may be retrieved), individuals being paged by airlines, and emergencies (e.g., fire or bomb threat). The requirement of this section applies whether the information is provided to passengers by the carrier in the aircraft or in the terminal (e.g., the gate area).

We intend to require carriers to provide information that a reasonable consumer would deem important, even if it falls outside the list in §382.119(b). Conversely, carriers are not required to provide information that a reasonable consumer would not deem important. For example, we do not consider information on sightseeing at the flight’s destination or an announcement that the aircraft is flying over the Grand Canyon to be covered by this rule.