OBW Joint Meeting Public Notice

The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department or DOT) and the Architectural Transportation Barriers and Compliance Board (Access Board or Board) are jointly hosting a public meeting, to be held virtually, on a DOT Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued on January 2, 2020 and on Access Board’s proposed advisory guidelines for aircraft onboard wheelchairs issued on August 20, 2019.  The NPRM proposed specific measures for improving accessibility of lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for passengers with disabilities.  The public meeting will focus on one aspect of this NPRM – improvements to the aircraft’s onboard wheelchair (OBW).  The meeting will also serve as a means for the Access Board to gather additional information on onboard wheelchair loads and onboard wheelchair casters before finalizing its advisory guidelines for aircraft onboard wheelchairs, which potentially could be a means of complying with OBW performance standards established by the Department.