In a message to All dated 10 Jan 97 14:38, Harvey Heagy wrote:
 HH> I would like to know what is the
 HH> current status as to our allowability to sit
 HH> in exit rows?  I already know that
 HH> bulkhead seating is not required for dog
 HH> guide users or for any other blind
 HH> persons to my knowledge.
Back in 1986, the Air Carrier Access Act was passed prohibiting 
discrimination against people with disabilities in airline 
transportation.  Unfortunately, the regulations implimenting the 
Act do the exact opposite and we haven't been able to do anything 
about it politically yet.  You will remember that we pushed the 
Air Travel Rights for Blind Individuals Act.  It fell because, 
although it got more than 50 "yes" votes, a motion to cut off 
debate (a clochure motion) did not receive the required 60-odd 
Senatorial "yes" votes.  I think this was in 1993 in June.
All this is to say that the current DOT and FAA regs which purport 
to implement the Access Act of 1986 stand in place.  These say 
that airlines may prohibit from seating in exit rows individuals 
who cannot perform a number of so-called functions, among which 
is being able to see.  You remember the little spiel the 
steward(ess) gives about "if you feel you cannot perform any of 
these functions, please contact us so we may move you".  That's 
the result of the regs which were supposed to prohibit 
discrimination but which themselves are discriminatory.
 HH> A question I would like to pose to
 HH> everyone is:  In my travels, I haven't ever
 HH> heard the airlines say that because a
 HH> person or persons is seated in an exit
 HH> row they may not be served any
 HH> alcoholic beverages due to safety reasons.  Has
 HH> anyone else heard this?  I think the
 HH> reason may be that there are millions of
 HH> business travelers who would howl in
 HH> protest if such a rule were inplimented
 HH> while there are only thousands of
 HH> blind persons who travel.  And yet they claim
 HH> it is for safety reasons that we can't sit in exit rows.
As the guy in the Kingston Trio song says:  you got a point there, 
judge!  Certainly money talks!  If truth were to be told, there 
shouldn't be *any* alcohol on air flights -- either in the cockpit 
*or* in the passenger cabins.  But airlines are loath to give up 
the revenue they get from alcohol sales and the business they get 
from business travelers who probably couldn't stand to travel as 
much as they must unless they remain half-looped during much of 
it!
And airlines, like many others, just *love* to trot out the tired 
old safety arguments when discriminating against the blind.  It's 
just another instance of the tenacity with which the tired old 
legal doctrine of contributory negligence hangs on and hangs on in 
the psyche of society.  It's why there'll be an NFB for at least 
the next century!
MIke Freeman
Internet: mikef@pacifier.com
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