TSA Initiatives Related to Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions

1. UNCLASSIFIED TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION TSA Initiatives Related to Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions Disability Branch Disability & Multicultural Division Civil Rights & Liberties/Ombudsman & Traveler Engagement Derived from: Multiple Sources; Declassify on: 25x1-human; Date of Source: 20091007 UNCLASSIFIED

2. Office of Civil Rights & Liberties, Ombudsman and Traveler Engagement Primarily responsible for ensuring that TSA employees and the traveling public are treated in a fair and lawful manner, consistent with Federal laws and regulations protecting civil rights, civil liberties and privacy, affording redress, governing freedom of information, and prohibiting discrimination and reprisal, while promoting diversity and inclusion. • Civil Rights Division • Diversity & Inclusion Division • Ombudsman Division Offices • Privacy Officer • Traveler Engagement Division • Disability & Multicultural Division

3. Disability Branch • External Engagements: Cultivate partnerships with community leaders from disability interest groups. Issue communications designed to help better inform members of the traveling public regarding what to expect at the security checkpoint. • Internal Engagements: Provide Passenger Support Specialist training on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and disability-related etiquette as well as guidance, job aids, and other resources to promote improved security screening practices. • Policy: Ensure that TSA security screening policies, procedures and practices comply with applicable civil rights laws. Advise the Office of Security Operations and the Office of Workforce Training and Engagement regarding new and existing screening procedures, and training programs for TSA officers to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of disability. • Complaints: Review, conduct inquires, and make determinations regarding civil rights complaints alleging disability-based discriminatory conduct during screening.

4. Initiatives: An Overview • TSA Cares • Passenger Support Specialist Program • Language Access Books • Awareness Series • “TSO in the Know” Series • Regional Training and Community Roundtable Events • Continuing Education Series: Targeted Webinars • Web Site Development • TSA’s Notification Card

5. TSA Cares • Launched in December 2011 • Contact Information: • Toll free: 1-855-787-2227 • Federal Relay: 711 • TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov • TSA Cares can: • Arrange for a PSS to meet you at the security checkpoint on the day of your flight to help escort you through the process • Give you information over the phone, and by email, regarding what to expect in the security screening process for your particular disability or medical condition

6. Passenger Support Specialist Program • Launched in early 2013 • To date, more than 4,500 TSA officers are trained to perform collateral duties of Passenger Support Specialists (PSSs) • Training is conducted via webinar • Part A (required): Takes the officers through the formal application and selection process • Part B (required): Two-hour webinar. One hour conducted by the Disability Branch covering the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The second hour conducted by a coalition member covering sensitivity and etiquette. • Part C (optional): Two-hour webinar. One hour conducted by the Multicultural Branch covering civil rights and liberties related to race, color, national origin, gender, and religion. The second hour conducted by a coalition member covering sensitivity and etiquette.

7. Language Access Books • Developed over the past two years as part of TSA’s communications initiative for travelers who are limited English proficient • There are Language Access books at every federalized airport across the country • Because of how they are designed, the Language Access books also are useful for some persons with disabilities and medical conditions • Universal pictorials • Explanations written in English and other languages • Covers major points of communication at the checkpoint

8. Awareness Series • Launched in June 2014 • Identified the top disabilities and medical conditions that result in calls to TSA’s Contact Center • Developed a calendar of awareness days and months around the top identified disabilities and medical conditions • June: Cancer Survivor Awareness Day (ports, catheters, and medical devices) • July: Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (general guidance) • August: Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness (mobility aids) • September: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network Awareness Day (trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) • October: Service Animal Awareness Month (service animals) • November: American Diabetes Association Awareness Month (diabetes) • Parallel engagement tracks: • Flyer to the frontline workforce that sets forth Do’s and Don’ts for screening passengers with a particular disability or medical condition • “What to Expect” informational piece for coalition members and members of the public

9. Awareness Series:Internal Engagement Awareness Flyer • For the TSA workforce • Designed to promote awareness, sensitivity, and etiquette when screening passengers with disabilities and medical conditions • Contains a list of Do’s and Don’ts pertaining to a particular disability or medical condition • Common to all flyers: • Passenger first • Acknowledge any verbal or written notice of medical condition or disability

10. Awareness Series:“What to Expect” • For members of the traveling public • Enhanced informational piece for travelers letting them know what to expect at the security checkpoint • Side-by-side comparison of standard screening and TSA Pre√™ • “What to Know” section • TSA Cares • Passenger Support Specialists • Planning Your Trip (including use of TSA’s Notification Card) • Advanced Imaging Technology • Walk-Through Metal Detectors • Pat-Downs • Explosive Trace Detection Screening • Travelers 75 Years and Older • Travelers 12 Years and Under • “What to Remember” section includes helpful reminders. For example, you must input your “Known Traveler Number” (KTN) when booking your flight to get TSA Pre√ ™ benefits. Even if you have TSA Pre√ ™, you will not get the benefits if you did not input your KTN when booking your flight.

11. “TSO in the Know” Series • Launched in July 2014 • Best practices for our workforce • Developed with input from coalition members and TSA field personnel, or based on expert guidance of other federal civil rights agencies such as the Justice Department, or the Office of Disability Employment Policy • Best practices topics to date include: • Effective communication • Screening passengers with service animals • Handling mass movements • Screening passengers with traveling companions

12. Regional Training and Community Roundtables • Launched in July 2014 • Each quarter the Multicultural and Disability Branches will offer joint training and community roundtable events by region. • In July and August 2014, the joint training events were held in Regions 2 and 5. • Onsite training of TSA officers and other TSA personnel by members of the Multicultural and Disability Branches as well as by coalition members • Community roundtable to allow coalition members and members of the public interact with TSA in a question and answer forum

13. Continuing Education Series: Targeted Webinars • To be launched in October 2014 • October: Service Animals • November: Diabetes • Will track our “Awareness Series” calendar • Presentations by our Disability Coalition members to members of TSA’s workforce • Open to all TSA personnel • Differs from the PSS Part B training by the coalition member: • PSS Part B: The coalition member covers sensitivity and etiquette as related screening passengers with any disability or medical condition (general in scope) for PSSs in training • Targeted webinar: The coalition member covers sensitivity and etiquette as related to screening passengers with a particular disability or medical condition (targeted in scope), and the session is open to all TSA personnel

14. Web Site Development • External • www.TSA.gov • Passengers with disabilities and medical conditions • Office of Public Affairs (OPA) anticipates redesigning this portion in October-November 2014 • “What to Expect,” TSA’s Notification Card, and other resources will be posted • OPA is working to ensure the Web site is Section 508-compliant • Encourage coalition members to link to this information from coalition Web sites • Internal • Only accessible by TSA personnel • One-stop center of resources for screening passengers with disabilities and medical conditions, including: • Communication aids • Awareness Series • TSO in the Know Series • Coalition PowerPoint presentations used for PSS Part B training, and for the targeted webinars

15. TSA’s Notification Card • Available through www.TSA.gov • Section 508-compliant • A passenger’s way of discreetly notifying the TSA officer of a disability or medical condition • Does not exempt a passenger from screening • Not required to be used; rather, a passenger may tell the TSA officer, or offer any written statement • Remember • Always inform the TSA Officer of your disability or medical condition prior to the commencement of screening • Let the TSA Officer know if you have external medical devices, or areas sensitive to touch • Ask for a private screening, if you want it • You are permitted to stay with your traveling companions throughout the screening process • Separate out and identify any oversized medically-necessary liquids prior to the commencement of screening (liquids in excess of 3.4 oz)

16. Contact Information Contact TSA Cares for Travel: Toll free: 1-855-787-2227 Federal Relay 711 TSA-Cares@tsa.dhs.gov The Disability Branch: TSA.ODPO@tsa.dhs.gov Our team: Zachary Bromer, Program Specialist Susan Buckland, Management and Program Analyst Joseph Carter, Program Specialist Julie Dennis, Program Specialist Seena Foster, Branch Manager Tracey Hall, Program Specialist Cathy Troxler, Program Specialist Jameela Turay, Program Specialist