49 U.S.C. § 41705 — Discrimination against individuals with disabilities

(a) When providing air transportation, an air carrier, including a foreign air carrier subject to section 40105(b), may not discriminate against an otherwise qualified individual because the individual: (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.

(b) For section 46301, each separate discriminatory act prohibited by subsection (a) is a separate violation.

(c)(1) Within 120 days after receiving a complaint about a violation of this section or its regulations, the Secretary must investigate it. The Secretary must give the complainant and the accused air carrier or foreign air carrier a written determination stating: (i) whether a violation occurred; (ii) the facts underlying the complaint; and (iii) any action the Secretary is taking. (2) The Secretary must publish disability-related complaint data in a way comparable to other consumer complaint data. (3) The Secretary must regularly review all disability-discrimination complaints received by air carriers and report the review’s results to Congress every year. (4) Within 180 days after this subsection was enacted, the Secretary must, after consulting the Department of Justice, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, and the National Council on Disability, implement a plan to give carriers and people with disabilities technical help in understanding their rights and duties, and must ensure appropriate manuals are available to people and entities with rights or duties under this section.