Travelers with Disabilities

Purpose

Publication name: CDC Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel
Edition: 2026
Chapter authors: Eric S. Cahill and Ahoua Kone
Top takeaway: Healthcare professionals should counsel and recommend resources to international travelers with disabilities.
Two seats with a handicap symbol.

Introduction

Overview

The Americans with Disabilities Act defines an individual with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits ≥1 major life activity, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. As of 2021, 27% of adults in the United States—including the District of Columbia and territories—reported some type of disability (cognitive, hearing, mobility, vision, self-care, or independent-living).

According to the World Health Organization, an activity limitation can include difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, or problem-solving. With proper preparation, many travelers with disabilities can travel internationally. The following key points can support safe and accessible travel for people with disabilities:

  • Assess each international itinerary individually, in consultation with travel agencies or tour operators that provide services to people with disabilities.
  • Review (and refer travelers to) online resources for additional information (Table 2.3.1).
  • Suggest that travelers ensure that necessary accommodations are available throughout the entire trip.
  • Recommend that travelers enroll in the U.S. Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive security messages and to make it easier for the U.S. embassy or consulate to assist in an emergency.

Table 2.3.1: Online resources for travelers with disabilities or chronic illnesses1

Online Resources for Travelers With Disabilities or Chronic Illnesses - Table 2.3.1
Organization/Source Resource
Federal Agencies
Federal Aviation Administration Acceptance Criteria for Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Federal Maritime Commission Cruise Vacations: Know Before You Go [PDF]
USA.gov Your Legal Disability Rights
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration Disabilities and Medical Conditions
Disability Notification Card [PDF]
Request for TSA Cares Assistance
What Can I Bring?
U.S. Department of State Travelers With Disabilities
U.S. Department of Transportation Airline Passengers With Disabilities Bill of Rights
Guide: Air Travelers With Developmental Disabilities [PDF]
Traveling With a Disability
What Airline Employees, Airline Contractors, and Air Travelers With Disabilities Need to Know About Access to Air Travel for Persons With Disabilities, August 2, 2016
Wheelchairs and Other Assistive Devices
Non-Federal Organizations
Airlines for America Airlines’ Commitment to Accessibility
American Council of the Blind Travel Resources
Autism Speaks Traveling With Autism
The Arc Wings for Autism/Wings for All
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Traveling With Your Wheelchair
Disabled World Travel: Accessible Disability Travel Information
Epilepsy Foundation Traveling Tips
International Air Transport Association Air Travel Accessibility
International Civil Aviation Organization Air Transport Accessibility
National Association of the Deaf Cruise Lines
Transportation and Travel
New Directions Travel New Directions Travel
Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality
WheelchairTravel.org Accessible Train Travel FAQ
Charging Power Wheelchairs Abroad
Medicare & Medicaid Coverage Abroad
Wheelchair Users’ Guide to Air Travel

Notes

1Some travelers with disabilities or chronic illnesses might need additional attention and adaptation of transportation services. This table is not intended to be an exhaustive list of resources.

Human rights

Each country has its own standard of accessibility for people with disabilities. Unlike the United States, many countries do not legally require accommodations for people with disabilities. Several websites can help the traveler answer questions about accessibility for a specific destination or provide support if an emergency occurs. Travel agents, hotels, airlines, or cruise ship companies can also serve as sources for information about services available during the trip and at the destination, including for service animals (see Traveling with Pets and Service Animals chapter). Table 2.3.2 includes resources for travelers with disabilities to help them gather information about accommodations and human rights frameworks at their destination.

Table 2.3.2: Accommodations and human rights frameworks for people with disabilities, information sources for travelers

Resources

Notes

U.S. Department of State: International Travel

To find information on accessibility for travelers with mobility limitations, enter a country or area in the search bar titled: Learn about your destination.

Information on accessibility can be found in the section: Local Laws and Special Circumstances.

Learn more by visiting the U.S. Department of State: International Travel webpage.

U.S. Department of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

Select a year and country, then read section 6 of the report for information about the human rights and social service framework protecting citizens with disabilities in the destination country.

Learn more by visiting the U.S. Department of State: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices webpage.

Air travel regulations and standards

Air carrier access act

In 1986, Congress passed the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to ensure that people with disabilities are treated without discrimination in a way consistent with the safe carriage of all air passengers. These regulations were established by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and apply to all flights provided by U.S. airlines and flights to or from the United States by foreign carriers.

ACAA ensures that carriers cannot refuse transportation based on a disability, with a few exceptions. For example, the carrier can refuse transportation if the person with a disability would endanger the health or safety of other travelers or if transporting the person would be a violation of Federal Aviation Administration safety rules. Travelers and their healthcare professionals can learn more about exceptions and other aspects of the ACAA by reviewing What Airline Employees, Airline Contractors, and Air Travelers with Disabilities Need to Know About Access to Air Travel for Persons with Disabilities. Air carriers are also obligated to accept a declaration by travelers with disabilities that they are self-reliant. A medical certificate (a written statement from the traveler’s healthcare professional saying that the traveler can complete the flight safely without requiring extraordinary medical care or endangering other travelers) might be required in specific situations. Examples of specific situations include a person intending to travel with a known or suspected communicable disease, a person requiring a stretcher or oxygen, or a person whose medical condition can be reasonably expected to affect the safe operation of the flight. Under the guidelines of the ACAA, when a traveler with a disability requests assistance, the airline is obligated to meet certain accessibility requirements. For example, carriers must provide access to the aircraft door (preferably by a level entry bridge), an aisle seat, and a seat with removable armrests. However, aircraft with <30 seats generally are exempt from these requirements. Any aircraft with >60 seats must have an onboard wheelchair, and personnel must help move the onboard wheelchair from a seat to the lavatory area upon request. Only wide-body aircraft with ≥2 aisles are required to have fully accessible lavatories.

Airline personnel are not required to assist with feeding, using the lavatory, or dispensing medication to travelers. Travelers with disabilities who require this type of assistance should travel with a companion or attendant. DOT maintains a toll-free hotline (800-778-4838 [voice] or 711 [federal relay]), available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday–Friday, except federal holidays, to provide general information to consumers about the rights of air travelers with disabilities and to assist air travelers with time-sensitive disability-related issues.

Many non-U.S. airlines voluntarily adhere to codes of practice that are similar to U.S. legislation based on guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organization (Table 2.3.1). These guidelines are not identical to those outlined in U.S. legislation, however, and the degree of implementation can vary by airline and location. Travelers planning to fly between foreign countries or within a foreign country while abroad should check with the overseas airlines to ensure that the carriers adhere to accessibility standards adequate for their needs. The International Civil Aviation Organization (Table 2.3.1) also provides accessibility scores for airports across the world that can aid in travel planning.

Assistive devices

Assistive devices can make traveling more accessible for people with disabilities. Travelers and their healthcare professional can consult the DOT and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) websites (Table 2.3.1) for information on traveling with an assistive device. Travelers should check for specific policies for assistive devices, including wheelchairs, portable machines, batteries, ventilators, and portable oxygen concentrators.

In-flight services

Airlines are not permitted to require travelers to provide advance notice of a disability. Airlines might require up to 48 hours advance notice and 1-hour advance check-in for certain accommodations that require preparation time for services (if they are available on the flight), such as the following:

  • Medical oxygen for use on board the aircraft
  • Carriage of an incubator
  • Hook-up for a ventilator to the aircraft electrical power supply
  • Accommodation for a passenger who must travel in a stretcher
  • Transport of a battery-powered wheelchair on an aircraft with <60 seats
  • Provision by the airline of hazardous material packaging for batteries used in wheelchairs or other assistive devices
  • Accommodation for ≥10 people with disabilities who travel as a group
  • Provision of an onboard wheelchair for use on an aircraft that does not have an accessible lavatory

All audiovisual displays played on aircraft for safety and informational purposes must use captioning or a sign language interpreter as part of the video presentation. The captioning must be in the predominant languages in which the carrier communicates with passengers on the flight. The current ACAA rule does not require the captioning of in-flight entertainment.

Airport accommodations

Security screening

The TSA has established a program for screening travelers with disabilities and their equipment, mobility aids, and devices. TSA permits prescription liquid medications and other liquids needed by people with disabilities and medical conditions. Travelers with disabilities or medical conditions that affect TSA screening can use a TSA Notification Card to communicate with screening officers. Additional screenings and pat-downs may be required, which will be made at the discretion of the TSA agents at each individual airport. Travelers can also learn more about TSA guidelines for disabilities and medical conditions online (Table 2.3.1).

As with other people with disabilities or medical conditions, travelers with hearing loss (i.e., individuals who are deaf or who are hard of hearing) can provide the TSA officer with a notification card or other medical documentation that describes their condition and informs the officer about the need for assistance with the screening process. Travelers are not required to remove any hearing aids or external cochlear implant devices. Additional screening, including a pat-down or device inspection, might be required if assistive devices alarm security technology.

Travelers with disabilities or medical conditions can call the TSA Cares helpline toll free at 855-787-2227, Telecommunications Relay Service 711, or check TSA’s website for answers to questions about screening policies, procedures, and the security checkpoints.

Closed captioning

As part of the ACAA, DOT rules require any airport terminal facility that receives federal financial assistance to enable or ensure high-contrast captioning at all times on televisions and other audiovisual displays. Captioning is required on televisions and other audiovisual displays located in any common areas of the terminal to which passengers have access, including the gate areas, ticketing areas, passenger lounges, and leased commercial shops and dining spaces.

Telecommunication devices

Current ACAA rules require people with hearing loss to self-identify to airline carrier personnel at the ticketing counter, at the gate area, or other customer service desks to ensure their receipt of accessible information. Passenger information, including information about flight schedule changes, connections, gate assignments, and baggage claim, must be transmitted in a timely manner through an accessible method of communication to those who have identified themselves as having hearing loss. The ACAA rules do not require a sign language interpreter to ensure that a passenger with hearing loss receives all pertinent information. If an airline carrier provides telephone reservation and information service to the public, these services must be available to people with hearing loss through a telecommunications device for the deaf, telecommunications relay services, or other technology.

Wheelchairs

Travelers can decide to rent wheelchairs and medical equipment at their destination. Research on renting wheelchairs might include checking the availability of wheelchair and medical equipment providers. The country voltage, type of electrical plug, and reliability of the electrical infrastructure at the destination country might make one type of wheelchair preferable over another. In some cases, a manual instead of a power wheelchair could be the preferred assistive device.

Boarding and deplaning with a wheelchair

Smaller airplanes might not have a jetway, and travelers who use wheelchairs might need to be manually lifted or carried down the stairs. Some airports have adapted hoists or lifts. An aisle chair is usually required to board and deplane an airplane. Travelers should be sure to mention that they need an aisle chair, both when reserving tickets and when checking in at the airport. Additional wheelchair traveling tips are available through Wheelchair Users’ Guide to Air Travel.

Service animals

Some travelers require a service animal for travel support. Travelers who require service animals should check with the airline and the destination country to ensure that both will permit the animal; the traveler should possess all required documentation (see Traveling with Pets and Service Animals chapter). Travelers can contact the U.S. embassy for information on possible restrictions and cultural norms about service animals. Travelers should find out about any required quarantine, vaccination, and documentation for the service animal; consult their veterinarian for tips about traveling with service animals; and contact destination hotels to make certain they will accommodate service animals.

Cruise ships

Companies or entities conducting programs or tours on cruise ships that dock at U.S. ports have obligations regarding access for travelers with disabilities, even if the ship itself is of foreign registry, as outlined in Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. All travelers with disabilities should check with cruise lines regarding the availability of requested or needed items before booking. Some cruise ship operators and travel agents specifically cater to travelers with special needs (see Cruise Ship Travel chapter).

Medical considerations

Some travelers can have both a disability and an underlying health condition. For more details, refer to Box 2.4.1 in the Travelers with Chronic Illnesses chapter, Travelers with Chronic Illnesses, for a list for suggestions that healthcare professionals can discuss with travelers to help manage their disability and underlying health conditions.

Acknowledgements

The following authors contributed to the previous version of this chapter: John Eichwald, Cynthia F. Hinton, and Jasmine Owens.