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Dear Members,
FLIGHT ATTENDANT ASSISTANCE WITH CARRY-ON BAGGAGE
There have been many questions since
the CBS memo on Carry On Baggage Assistance. This is to assist you in
understanding how this CBS massage came about and what we are required to do as
safety professional flight attendants.
In order to comply with the Americans
with Disability Act (ADA) flight attendants are required to provide the
following assistance to disabled passengers:
1. Move to and from seats as part of
the boarding and deplaning process
2. Open packages and identify food
(assistance with eating is not required)
3. Use an onboard wheelchair when
available to enable passenger to move to and from the lavatory
4. Move to and from the lavatory in
the case of a semi-ambulatory person (as long as this does not require lifting
or carrying by the flight attendant.)
5.
Load and retrieve carryon items,
including mobility aid and other assistive devices stowed on board the aircraft.
Flight attendants are not required to
provide assistance inside the lavatory or at the passenger seat with elimination
functions. Also flight attendants are not required to perform medical services
for an individual with a disability.
A passenger who is covered
under the ADA may not exhibit outward signs of a disability, yet may require
assistance from the flight attendant in stowing of carry on items.
This does mean that flight attendants
are required to assistant passenger with disabilities in stowing canes, walkers,
and crutches. It also means getting them out of the overhead if the passenger
needs to use them to get to and from the lavatory. Storing of tote bags and
purses are also included in this category.
In general, providing assistance to
passengers to stow larger items, the flight attendant may turn bags in the
overhead bins to make room, ask passengers to hold coats until a larger bag is
stored and them place the coat on top of the larger bag. The flight attendant
may also ask passengers to move smaller bags from one overhead to another
overhead bin to allow for storage of a larger bag, or stowing a diaper bag/toy
bag if the passenger is in a bulkhead row.
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Paul
Frishkorn
AFA-CWA Chairperson of Benefits |
Barrington Johnson
AFA-CWA
Chairperson of ASHS
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"Safety is the ultimate
customer service"
Barrington Johnson
MEC Chairperson Air Safety, Health, & Security
BJohnson@afausairways.org
AFA/CWA SASH
Committee Representatives
Useful Safety Links:
AFA National
Office Website:
http://www.afanet.org/
AFA
Air Safety, Health and Security Department (ASHSD)
http://ashsd.afacwa.org/index.cfm
Self
Defense Training:
http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/programs/
self_defense_cmsd_programs.shtm |
