Air Carrier Access Act Technical Assistance Manual (2005)

QUESTION: What’s the difference between the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

ANSWER: The ACAA, signed into law by then-President Reagan in 1986, prohibits discrimination by airlines against individuals with disabilities in commercial air transportation. The ADA, signed into law after the ACAA in 1990 by then-President Bush, prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, telecommunications, and transportation other than by commercial airlines (e.g., subway and bus systems). [Sec. 382.1]