Canine Companions CEO Paige Mazzoni Joins the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the appointment of 17 members to the re-established Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee (ACAA Advisory Committee). Canine Companions CEO Paige Mazzoni joins as a key member, representing national disability organizations.

The ACAA Advisory Committee is tasked to assess and provide recommendations to the Secretary to improve the travel experience for passengers with disabilities. They also work to assess existing and emerging disability-related access barriers for passengers with disabilities and evaluates the extent to which the Department’s programs and activities are eliminating disability-related access barriers.

“Airline passengers with disabilities deserve to travel safely and with dignity, and the Biden-Harris Administration has proactively worked to prioritize and protect their rights,” says U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg. “The ACAA Advisory Committee is a valuable partner in our work, helping our department identify challenges in air travel and providing recommendations on how to make flying more accessible.”

The ACAA Advisory Committee consists of the following leaders:

• Zainab Alkebsi, National Association of the Deaf, as representative of national disability organizations
• Heather Ansley, Paralyzed Veterans of America, as co-chair and representative of national veterans organization representing disabled veterans
• Chris Brown, National Air Carrier Association, as representative of air carriers
• Amy Claire Brusch, Airports Council International – North America, as representative of airport operators
• Albert Elia, National Federation of the Blind
• Michele Erwin, All Wheels Up, as representative of national disability organizations
• Mark Greig, Sunrise Medical, as representative of wheelchair manufacturers
• Graham Keithley, Airlines for America, as representative of air carriers
• Roland Mair, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, as representative of aircraft manufacturers
• Paige Mazzoni, Canine Companions, as representative of national disability organizations
• Sheila O’Brien, Assistance Dogs International North America, as representative of national disability organizations
• Nobuyo Reinsch, Regional Airline Association, as representative of air carriers
• Linda Ristagno, International Air Transport Association, as co-chair and representative of air carriers
• Pierre-Antoine Senes, Airbus, as representative of aircraft manufacturers
• Neil Snyder, Hearing Loss Association of America, as representative of national disability organizations
• Jo Ann Storie, Prospect Airport Services, Inc., as representative of contract service providers
• Christopher Witkowski, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, as representative of flight attendants

For more details, visit the Department of Transportation website*.

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