Air Travel And And What To Bring And Do. From The White House.

[jdqm]

here is a post i recieved from another email group. it is being reposted here with permission from its origin.

Joy

FR:Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.

Associate Director on Disabilities

Domestic Policy Council

The White House

- - - - - - - - - -

Hi*****,. As you may very well imagine, the developments in the United

Kingdom whose details were announced early yesterday morning (also see

below)

have given rise for heightened security at all of our nation's airports.

Amidst all of the adjustments resulting from immediate changes to security

check-in procedures, the Bush Administration remains mindful of the needs of

travelers with disabilities, those with medical conditions, and mature

persons.

Shortly after public revelation of the situation abroad, the Interagency

Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with

Disabilities(ICC), led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

activated its

Incident Management Team, composed of agency leaders from across

government. As a

result, within hours, a statement was drafted for distribution to members of

the general public. This piece was the result of involvement by the

disability arm of the White House Domestic Policy Council, members of the

ICC, and two

internal DHS components -- the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

and the Transportation Security Administration.

We urge you to distribute the following information as broadly as possible.

We also recommend that air travelers print a copy of this email and have it

handy for on-site reference. The information below re-emphasizes that

assistive technology, mobility aids, medication, and other items used by

members of

the disability community and others continue to be permitted beyond security

checkpoints. Details are also provided on where to call or email to address

related concerns, resources to visit for further information, and steps that

individuals may take to make the security check-in process as smooth as

possible.

I want you to know, Donna, how grateful I am to you for spreading word about

what follows. Doing so will have the collective effect of preventing

difficulties from occurring at the outset while providing the traveling

public with

specific resources to assist in addressing issues of critical concern.

Warmest wishes to you, as always!

--Ollie

- - - - - - - - - -

Over the last 24 hours, British authorities have arrested a significant

number of extremists engaged in a substantial plot to destroy multiple

passenger

aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States. The

Department

of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking immediate steps to increase security

measures in the aviation sector in coordination with heightened security

precautions in the United Kingdom. The nation's threat level has been raised

to

Severe, or Red, for commercial flights originating in the United Kingdom

bound

for the United States. To defend further against any remaining threat from

this plot, the threat level has been raised to High, or Orange, for all

commercial aviation operating in or destined for the United States.

The intent of this message is to alert potential air travelers with

disabilities, those with medical conditions, and the mature of the elevated

threat

level, encourage them to take proactive and necessary steps to alleviate

potential adverse impacts, and provide connections to further information

and

assistance.

The following quotes are extracted from DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff's

press conference yesterday:

* "In light of the nature of the liquid explosive devices which were

designed by the plotters, we are temporarily banning all liquids in

carry-ons in

aircraft cabins. That means no liquids or gels will be allowed in carry-on

baggage. Any liquids or gels have to be checked as part of baggage to go

into

the hold. There will be exceptions for baby formula and medicines, but

travelers must be prepared to present these items for inspection at the

checkpoint,

and that will allow us to take a look at them and make sure that they're

safe to fly."

* "Today, air traffic is safe. And air traffic will remain safe precisely

because of the measures we are adopting today. People should be patient,

but

they need not cancel their travel plans. They simply need to be aware there

may be some delays and they may want to check with their carriers to see

whether they ought to adjust their arrival times at airports."

Overall guidance to travelers with disabilities is located on the web site

of the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security

Administration (TSA) at: http://www.tsa.gov. This guidance includes tips

specific to

those with disabilities and medical conditions.

TSA's Checkpoint Security Screening Procedures for persons with

disabilities, individuals with medical conditions, and the mature have not

changed as a

result of the current threat situation.

All disability-related equipment, aids, and devices continue to be allowed

through security checkpoints once cleared through screening.

Items permitted beyond the checkpoint include: Wheelchairs; scooters;

crutches; canes; walkers; prosthetic devices; casts; support braces; support

appliances; service animals; any and all diabetes-related medication,

equipment,

and supplies; orthopedic shoes; exterior medical devices; assistive/adaptive

equipment; augmentation devices; ostomy supplies; medications and associated

supplies; hearing aids; cochlear implants; tools for wheelchair

disassembly/reassembly; personal supplemental oxygen; CPAP machines;

respirators; CO2

personal oxygen concentrators; baby apnea monitors; Braille note takers;

slate and

stylus; tools for prosthetic devices; and any other disability-related

equipment.

Current restrictions prohibit liquids, gels, or lotions (except baby

formula/milk and medications) through the security screening checkpoints and

onboard

the aircraft. This includes common items, such as, but not limited to:

beverages, perfume/cologne, shampoo, shaving cream, suntan lotion, creams,

toothpaste, hair gels, saline solution. Such items are recommended for

transport

in checked baggage.

It is also recommended that those with medications only take the amount of

medication essential to sustain them until arrival at their final

destination.

Additional medication can be placed in checked baggage or mailed to their

final destination. This will help speed up the screening process and avoid

additional delays.

Travelers with disabilities, medical conditions, and the mature may want to

consider the following:

* Arriving at the airport well in advance, 2-3 hours prior to flight

* Following all published rules on carry-on items and medications

* Viewing TSA website tips for persons with disabilities and medical

conditions and other TSA screening advisements located on TSAs website under

"Our

Travelers"

* Bringing documentation on medications, devices, medical condition where

possible. This is not a requirement and will not exempt a passenger from

the

screening process.

* Packing medications in a clear bag separate from other carry-on items/bags

* Exercising patience with the lines, delays, and stringent screening

procedures

For additional information on transportation security, the Transportation

Security Administration Contact Center may be reached at:

1-866-289-9673 (Voice/Relay)

tsa-contactcenter@... (Email)

http://www.tsa.gov (Web)

For concerns about potential rights violations, contact the TSA Office of

Civil Rights at:

1-877-336-4872 (Voice)

1-800-877-8339 (TTY)

tsa-contactcenter@... (Email)

For information about overall air travel accessibility, contact the Air

Carrier Access Act Hotline of the Department of Transportation at:

1-800-778-4838 (Voice)

1-866- 754-4368 (TTY)

airconsumer@...

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov (Web)

- - - - - - - - - -

Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.

Associate Director for Domestic Policy

The White House

Washington, DC 20502

ocantos@...

[jdqm]

>Dear Laura;

>I just wrote to the group (somewhat behind) asking people to not forward that >information (the copyright belongs to the group not the person posting the >email to the group) and then I saw your email saying forwarding is fine.

>Usually I let the person sending an email to the group decide if forwarding >their email is okay. I am sure that by now many people have already forwarded >your email. I hope that everyone who did that will also forward what I wrote >(permission hereby given) so that everyone will understand that the policy in >your email is just words at this time and not what is actually happening on the >ground.

Sincerely yours,

>Fred Shotz

>Group Owner

>OT-ServiceDogs

>

> Dear Joy;

>

> I am not approving forwarding of any email from this group that addresses

> the issues of airport security screening or any information posted to the

> group that is from the TSA or any other government agency. Reading what the

> White House sent out will simply provide a false sense of security and I do

> not want to provide information that misleads people.

>

> Regardless of what the White House sends out and regardless of what the TSA

> publishes the 42,000 TSA employees performing airport security screening

> have not been properly trained in these new policies. In many cases it

> appears that the TSA supervisors have not been adequately trained in the new

> policies. Therefore no one can predict what will or will not happen at any

> given airport. What might not be a problem at one airport could easily be a

> problem at a different airport. What might not be a problem at one security

> location within an airport could be a problem at a different security

> location in the same airport.

>

> The TSA is stonewalling calls about civil rights issues - not even answering

> the civil rights complaints phone number. Mr. Cantos has yet to reply to my

> email or to return my phone call. So all we have is their PR release of a

> policy with the people enforcing the policy having not even seen it. If

> anyone things that you can show a TSA supervisor a print out from your

> computer purportedly from the White House and do what that print out says

> has had little or no contact with the TSA and how they work.

>

>

> Sincerely yours,

>

> Fred Shotz

> Group Owner

> OT-ServiceDogs

>

>

>

>

>

> > May I have permission to post this on my dinet.com page? Some of them are

> > very worried about travel. I will remove all information related ot

> > ServiceDogs .

> >

> > Joy

> >

> >>

> >> In response to some postings concerned for air travelers W/disabilities, I

> >> forward the following.

> >> Regards,

> >> Laura

> >> ===============

> >>

> >> FR:Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.

> >> Associate Director on Disabilities

> >> Domestic Policy Council

> >> The White House

>

>