United StatesAir Carrier Access Act rule, accessibility of carrier websites
In force since .
An accessibility requirements rule binding private bodies.
- Conformance standard
- WCAG 2.0 AA
As of .
What it requires
- If you are a U.S. or foreign air carrier that operates at least one aircraft having a designed seating capacity of more than 60 passengers and you own or control a primary website that markets air transportation to the general public in the United States, make the public-facing pages of that site conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA (14 CFR 382.43(c)(1)); the dates were for the core booking, check-in, itinerary, flight status, frequent flyer, schedule and contact pages, and for the rest.
- Test the site in consultation with individuals with disabilities or members of disability organizations, who must be able to give feedback on usability for individuals with visual, auditory, tactile and cognitive disabilities (14 CFR 382.43(c)(2)).
- Use a Level AA conforming alternate version of a page only when conforming the page itself would be an undue burden or fundamentally alter its information or functionality (14 CFR 382.43(c)(3)).
- Assist a prospective passenger who says a disability keeps them from using the site and who contacts you another way, by disclosing web-based discount fares they qualify for and providing web-based amenities, such as waiving a fee for booking by telephone unless it applies to other customers buying the same fare online (14 CFR 382.43(c)(4)).
- Provide on the site a mechanism for requesting disability accommodation services for future flights, and a disclaimer when a user follows a link to an external site or third-party software that may not follow the same accessibility policies (14 CFR 382.43(d) and (e)).
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
If you get it wrong
Penalty structure
General civil penalty maximum per violation; an individual or small business concern is capped at a lower figure.
- Rule
- Per violation only
- As of
- Currency
- USD
- Per violation unit
- Violation
- Per violation amount
- 75,000
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
U.S. Department of Transportation, which investigates complaints of a violation of section 41705 of title 49 or a regulation prescribed under it
What this law does
The Department of Transportation requires a carrier that operates at least one aircraft with a designed seating capacity of more than 60 passengers and owns or controls a primary website that markets passenger air transportation to make the public-facing pages of that site accessible to individuals with disabilities. Only websites that market air transportation to the general public in the United States must be accessible.
The primary website must conform to all Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 at Level AA. The pages for booking, check-in, itineraries, flight status, frequent flyer accounts, schedules and carrier contact information had to conform by , and all remaining pages by .
A carrier may use a conforming alternate version only when conforming a public-facing page to all Level AA success criteria would constitute an undue burden or fundamentally alter the information or functionality of that page. A carrier must provide a mechanism on its primary website for persons with disabilities to request disability accommodation services for future flights, no later than . A general civil penalty of not more than $75,000 applies to violations of the Department's rules under this statute.
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app ships a consumer interface.