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The Air Carrier Access Act: Protecting the Civil Rights of Airline Passengers with Disabilities

About the Presenter

Mike Spollen is a native of the Washington, D.C. area. After attending Virginia Tech and graduating from George Mason University, Mike began his federal career as in investigator in 1979 with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). At the CAB, he investigated potential violations by airlines of various consumer protection regulations, and was involved closely in the development and implementation of the first federal regulation protecting the rights of airline passengers with disabilities.  Mike says that he has finally gotten over the fact that, after Congress realized that the CAB had hired him, it quickly passed sunset legislation closing that agency at the end of 1984.  

Not to be deterred, Mike transferred from the CAB to the Department of Transportation (DOT), where he currently works in the General Counsel’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division.  Since passage of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) in 1986, Mike has been actively involved in DOT’s efforts to protect the civil rights of airline passengers with disabilities and ensure airlines’ compliance with DOT’s ACAA regulations. Mike currently serves as DOT’s aviation disability team leader, where he helps coordinate the Department’s rulemaking, investigative and enforcement activities.