Comments on: Kiosks: Benefits & costs of accessibility

By: Kiosks: Which? When? - Air Travel Accessibility

Kiosks: Which? When? - Air Travel Accessibility — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:49:42 +0000

[...] Kiosks: Benefits & costs of accessibility (13 comments) [...]

By: drew

drew — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:29:04 +0000

Thanks for your comment, alposner. Welcome to Regulation Room. Throughout the proposal, DOT has focused on trying to make sure airlines are providing the exact same type of service to travelers with disabilities as they do to travelers who do not have disabilities. Is this the wrong way to approach these issues in an airport? Are there any other potential costs to travelers that the Agency has overlooked?

By: alposner

alposner — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:45:51 +0000

As a visually impaired person I DO NOT believe kiosks access would be beneficial. In fact, I suspect that the plan may ‘backfire’, making airport access more difficult. Not being able to read airport signage, and therefore requiring “meet and assist” assistance to my designated gate, I find it most convenient to fint a ticket agent who will also call for assistance to take me through security and to my gate. If kiosks become more widely used (or possibly required) in the future, it is likely tomean fewer ticket agents, thus longer wait times on line, and more difficulty and delays acquiring the assistance I need. Making keosks available to those disabled individuals who wish to use them may be a good idea in theory, but, as proven by the growth of ATMs and self service checkouts, the more automation – the less human assistance!

By: Moderator

Moderator — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:56:58 +0000

Based on conversations with kiosk vendors, DOT estimates that the additional $750 it costs to make a Kiosk accessible is a fixed cost that will not change over time. You can read more about their estimates in Section 5.5 of the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA). As discussed in section 2 of this post, DOT believes that there are benefits to travelers with disabilities that can’t easily be given a dollar value. Are there other benefits to travelers with disabilities that DOT is missing?

By: Whitney Quesenbery

Whitney Quesenbery — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:55:46 +0000

If most of the $750 per unit cost is design and development, how can the airlines claim that costs do not go down with additional use.

And if they save $3.70 per passenger using a kiosk, it doesn’t take many passengers with disabilities to make up for the cost.

The real question is why we are not willing to put all of our impressive technology to work creating a world in which everyone is included. I love using the kiosks? Why would we assume that an independent person with disabilities wouldn’t, too.

By: Whitney Quesenbery

Whitney Quesenbery — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:50:29 +0000

You don’t have to use assistive technology to benefit from an accessible kiosk.

- Many of us have older eyes and value larger type. At least on my airline, they do this pretty well already.

- Audio can be very helpful for people who don’t read English well (but who can understand it when spoken).

- Easy-to-press buttons are useful when you are carrying bags.

By: Whitney Quesenbery

Whitney Quesenbery — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:47:47 +0000

This discussion seems to assume that it is difficult or expensive to make a kiosk accessible. It is not. It may take a change in corporate processes, or in our culture. But neither the technologies or design requirements are new and novel. Amtrak, for example, has had accessible kiosks for many years as have many local train services. Airline kiosks are even easier, because they don’t have to be “hardened” for outside use.

By: jbh249

jbh249 — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:02:06 +0000

Hi kingslav, and thanks for your comment. We hope that you continue to air your concerns and suggestions about DOT’s rule. However, opinions alone, without more explanation and reasoning, are not useful to DOT because they do not help them figure out what is wrong with the proposed rule and what should be changed. Is there anyplace you could point DOT and other commentors to that shows that airlines would do this on their own without regulation if they could save on labor costs?

By: KingSlav

KingSlav — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:05:11 +0000

The DOT is wrong. If this would save airlines $45.9 million in labor costs they would have already eagerly done this on their own.

By: drew

drew — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:09:35 +0000

Hi mcheung, DOT believes that this proposed rule would save airlines $45.9 million in labor costs and save passengers $76.9 million by reducing waiting times. You can read more about these benefits in Table 13 of the Regulatory Impact Analysis. Do you think the Agency has considered everything that it should? What, if anything, do you think should be added to the calculation of costs and benefits?