United teams with United Spinal to strengthen accessibility

In recent years, United Airlines has made several laudable moves to improve accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility as well as for those with hearing and visual disabilities. Now the US major has teamed up with the United Spinal Association to strengthen this crucial work.

Under their new agreement, the United Spinal Association — representing America’s 5.5 million wheelchair users — will help advise and support the US major as it endeavors to further improve the travel experience for customers with disabilities.

“This partnership demonstrates that accessible travel is a reality, and every step forward brings us closer to a more inclusive travel experience for the disability community,” says United Spinal Association CEO Vincenzo Piscopo. “I hope to see continued improvements not only from United Airlines but also throughout the entire travel industry.”

The news falls hard on the heels of the US Federal Aviation Administration’s confirmation to Runway Girl Network that it is working to define the criteria necessary to allow someone to remain in their personal wheelchair during flight using a tie-down similar to what’s used in the automotive industry, and as the US Department of Transportation prepares to initiate rulemaking in that regard.

United certainly deserves props for its accessibility work thus far. Last March, the airline took transparency to a whole new level by providing a digital tool that enables wheelchair users to filter flight search results — on both United’s website and its powerful app — to identify flights scheduled on aircraft types with cargo hold doors that are large enough to accommodate the specific dimensions of their personal mobility device.

More than 20,000 customers who travel with wheelchairs have already used the new tool, says United, and feedback from those customers has contributed to a nearly four-point improvement in customer satisfaction scores compared to a year earlier. United has also armed its ramp agents with mobile technology that indicates when a wheelchair is on a flight to help ensure they are better prepared to receive and load it.

Also in 2023, United became the first US carrier to add Braille to aircraft interiors, helping millions of travelers with visual disabilities more easily navigate the cabin independently. United says it expects to outfit its entire mainline fleet with Braille by the end of 2026.

An overhead bin with Braille explaining the seat number and row. It is beside the visual numbers and letters that sighted passengers use.

Enabling blind passengers to independently find their seat is a major benefit. Image: United Airlines

Under the leadership of executive vice president Linda Jojo, United also spearheaded impressive upgrades to its app, including making it easier to use for people with visual disabilities by better integrating with screen reader technologies like VoiceOver and TalkBack.

And, as reported extensively by RGN, United is currently flying one of the most accessible inflight entertainment systems in the world, a Panasonic Avionics-built system aboard its Boeing 787-10s that went on to win a coveted Crystal Cabin Award under the leadership of former United executive — now IFEC consultant and ‘On Your Flight Today‘ podcast host — Corinne Streichert.

“It took United Airlines three years of development before launching the world’s most extensive suite of accessibility features on a seatback IFE system at the end of 2018. During that three-year period, United remained steadfast in its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Even in the face of leadership changes and reorganizations, management prioritized the project, ensuring that momentum was maintained,” Streichert previously explained to RGN. “United’s groundbreaking IFE system provides accessible features to the blind, deaf and physically disabled.”

Since then, United says it has rolled out new IFE systems that feature a wide range of accessible features such as closed captioning, text-to-speech controls, magnification, explore-by-touch capabilities, audio described movies, and adjustable and high-contrast text and color correction.

“As part of United Next, the airline’s historic growth plan, the carrier expects to take delivery of about 700 new narrow and widebody aircraft by the end of 2032, all of which will include the latest in seatback screen entertainment options,” the airline assures.

This work has clearly served as an inspiration to other stakeholders in industry. In the last two years alone, we’ve seen several IFE software and hardware providers make accessibility a key part of their agendas.

But United’s accessibility work does not start and end with the customer. The carrier’s Business Resource Group, called Bridge, enables employees to help create a workplace environment “where all can strive to achieve their maximum potential and support our commitment to being an ally for customers with disabilities”, says the airline.

United’s David Kinzelman, who has replaced Jojo as chief customer officer in advance of her retirement in January 2025, says in a statement: “The early success of our digital sizing tool [for wheelchair users] is an encouraging development in our ongoing efforts to find more ways to improve the travel experience for customers of all abilities.

“We look forward to working together with United Spinal to explore even more impactful solutions in the future; collaborating with their community of experts and harnessing their valuable feedback will help us better meet the specific needs of our customers who use wheelchairs.”

Related Articles: