The Department of Transportation announced a rule on July 26 that will require an accessible bathroom on single-aisle aircraft operating in the U.S.  

The rule was finalized on the 33^rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, yet airlines will have a decade to comply with the new requirement. The rule applies only to new single-aisle aircraft ordered 10 years or delivered 12 years after the rule becomes effective. For as long as this time frame is, earlier drafts of the rule gave airlines 18 to 20 years to become compliant.  

Double-aisle, wide-body aircraft — the larger planes that often fly transcontinental flights — are already required to have an accessible restroom. Single-aisle planes are used for most U.S. domestic flights, so the new rule has the potential to provide a significant accessibility upgrade to the flight experience of disabled Americans.  

What Does an Accessible Restroom Even Mean? 

The rule states that for single-aisle aircraft of 125 seats or more, an accessible lavatory “must permit a person with a disability and an attendant, both equivalent in size to a 95^th-percentile male, to approach, enter, maneuver within as necessary to use all lavatory facilities, and leave, by means of the [portable aisle chair], in a closed space that affords privacy equivalent to that afforded to ambulatory users.” 

In layman’s terms, the bathroom must have space for two full-sized adults plus an onboard aisle chair. There must be room to shut the door and transfer, with assistance if needed, onto the toilet, then get back through the door when done. How this will look in the real world is up to the airlines to figure out.  

It’s a fair bet that the bathrooms will look much like the accessible versions on current wide-body jets. John Morris of wheelchairtravel.org published an excellent article detailing the types of accessible bathrooms currently available. They vary in usability. Some offer enough space to make a lateral transfer onto the toilet, while one of the most common configurations features a pull-down divider that turns two restrooms into one. Morris points out: 

“Even with twice the space (and twice the number of toilets), the lavatory remains cramped. There is just enough room to perform an admittedly awkward transfer onto the toilet. You’ll need to be patient and take your time to avoid mistakes or injury. It’s not ideal, but this is considered accessible by many air carriers today.” 

Whatever the restroom layout, you will still have to access it via an aisle chair, or an “onboard wheelchair,” as the DOT calls them. The rule mandates that within three years, all single-aisle aircraft of 125 seats or more need to have an onboard wheelchair. In the same time frame, they are also mandating that airline staff receive annual training on use and stowage of the onboard wheelchair, plus training in how to assist passengers to and from the restroom. DOT is also requiring airlines to have restroom accessibility features listed in the aircraft and on the airline’s website.  

Moving Forward 

The new accessible-restroom rule is a major step forward. But the devil will be in the implementation and whether the DOT and Congress continue to mandate other airline accessibility improvements. In an interview with longtime New Mobility writer Steve Wright, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said that the DOT is working on a rule that would require better training of staff who operate aisle chairs and otherwise work with disabled passengers. “We see it in terms of dignity and safety. There are many clear cases where proper training would have made a difference [in avoiding serious injury]. We would like to get the notice of proposed rulemaking out this year,” Buttigieg says.  

The DOT finally has airline accessibility on their radar. Whether it stays there or not, and whether the government mandates other concrete improvements — such as allowing disabled passengers to board and fly in their wheelchairs — will require continued, relentless advocacy from our community.  

For more about the new rule, read Wright’s full article on United Spinal Association’s efforts to make air travel more accessible. For an in-depth look at the current state of air travel for wheelchair users, check here at newmobility.com on September 1 for Kenny Salvini’s cover story, “Inside the Fight for Accessible Air Travel.”