ABTA members urged to comply with disability laws
ABTA is warning members that their websites must allow passengers with disabilities to easily request assistance for their journey when booking flights.
Under EU Regulation 1107, travel businesses that sell or market flights or flight-based packages online must also display on their websites the safety rules that airlines apply to the carriage of disabled people, and any restrictions on the carriage of disabled people or mobility equipment due to the size of aircraft.
ABTA said that as well as being a legal requirement, developing a website that is easy to use for anyone who is disabled makes good business sense as as many as one in five of the population has some form of disability.
The association has updated its website guidance on accessible travel in the Member zone of abta.com and, as part of this, it is calling on members to ensure that consumers can see how they go about notifying the company of their assistance needs with one click from the homepage.
"Information for consumers with reduced mobility is also very important. Feedback from consumers shows that a major cause of frustration is not being able to find the relevant information to help make the right choices in booking their travel arrangements," it said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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