Published on : Tuesday, May 30, 2017
More individuals than ever are travelling with disabilities and medical conditions, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is helping them get through security screening at airports during the busy summer travel season.
Individuals with disabilities or medical conditions, who use medical devices should not think of a TSA checkpoint as a barrier to travel. It’s okay to bring along a CPAP machine or a breast pump. Yes, passengers can travel with an insulin pump or an ostomy pouch. If an individual has a temporary medical condition, perhaps a broken leg, it does not prevent him from getting through a checkpoint.
The number of passengers expected to fly this summer season is expected to be the highest in years with more than 2.2 million passengers per day expected to pass through TSA checkpoints between Memorial Day and Labor Day with almost a quarter million of those passengers going through security screening in the New York metropolitan region alone.
TSA is prepared for the start of the summer travel season, with peak travel period kicking off with the upcoming Memorial Day holiday and extending through August. During the busiest days of the summer, which are expected to be the days leading up to and immediately after Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day, TSA will screen more than 2.5 million passengers per day nationwide.
TSA officers at Newark Liberty International Airport will screen more than 70,000 passengers; JFK International Airport more than 100,000 passengers; and at LaGuardia Airport more than 50,000 passengers on a busy summer day.
All travellers are required to undergo screening at the checkpoint. Passengers with a disability or medical condition or their travelling companion may consult a TSA officer about the best way to relieve any concerns during the screening process. Individuals may provide an officer with a TSA notification card or other medical documentation to describe the condition in a discrete manner. Travellers may also request an accommodation for the security screening process.
If a passenger with a medical device, medical condition or a disability is approved to use TSA Pre✓, he or she does not need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts, or light jackets during the screening process. However, everyone is required to undergo screening at the checkpoint by technology or a pat-down. Also, TSA officers may swab an individual’s hands, mobility aids, equipment and other external medical devices to test for explosives using explosives trace detection technology.
Persons with disabilities and medical conditions are not required to remove their shoes if they have a disability or medical condition. However, shoes must undergo additional screening, including visual/physical inspection as well as explosives trace detection testing of the footwear. Travellers may request to be seated during this portion of the screening.
TSA’s Five Top Resources for Travelers with Disabilities
TSA has five main resources for travelers with disabilities or individuals who travel with medical devices or medical conditions to ensure that they can get through the security screening process successfully, respectfully and efficiently. They include the TSA Cares helpline, the TSA Contact Center, Passenger Support Specialists, information posted on tsa.gov and an interactive Twitter and Facebook Messenger account.
Tags: travellers with disabilities, TSA
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