“The Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced the first federal rule to specifically provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protections to people with disabilities who travel on boats and ships. The rule applies to two categories of vessels - vessels operated by public entities, such as public ferry systems, and vessels operated by private entities that are mainly in the business of transporting people, such as cruise ships. Under the rule vessel operators cannot charge extra for accessibility-related services to passengers, cannot require passengers to furnish their own attendants, and cannot deny access to passengers based on disability”

The fact that these rules had to be put in place at all is upsetting, but I’m glad they’re there. Penalizing people with disabilities is not the way forward.