Los Angeles International Airport Disabled/Special Needs

If you would like to request a copy of LAX's "A Guide For Individuals With Disabilities," please contact the Public Relations Division at (310) 646-5260 or TDD at (310) 644-0370.

# Parking

All parking structure entrances on the Lower/Arrivals and Upper/Departure Levels are clearly marked with vertical clearances.

Parking Structures 1, 2A, 3, 4, 6 and 7 have a maximum vehicle height restriction of 8 feet, 2 inches.

Parking Structures 2B and 5 have a maximum vehicle height restriction of 7 feet.

# Rampways

Rampways are provided from street to sidewalk level in front of all terminals, and at entrances to other public buildings (such as the airport's unique Theme Building) where there are stairs to negotiate.

# Elevators

Rampways are provided from street to sidewalk level in front of all terminals, and at entrances levators are located near public stairways and escalators in all passenger terminal buildings. Multi-level parking structures also contain elevators centrally positioned adjacent to terminals.

# Telephone Booths

Each passenger terminal provides public phones wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. A Telecommunications Device (TDD) for the deaf or speech-impaired is available in all terminals near the Travelers Aid public information booths. Amplified telephones for the hearing-impaired are available in every terminal. All public telephones at LAX are hearing-aid compatible.

The TDD telephone numbers for information is (310) 665-0370 or the California Relay Service for the Deaf is 1- 800-735-2929. AT&T Public Phone 2000 units provide TDD users with a color monitor and keyboard at other locations in the terminals.

# Restrooms

Men's and women's restrooms located in all terminals contain a special extra-wide toilet stall equipped with side grab bars. Look for the disabled symbol. Restrooms equipped for the disabled (unisex) are available at Terminal 2 on the Upper/Departure Level and at Terminal 6 on the Lower/Arrival Level.

# Wheelchairs

All major scheduled airlines serving LAX provide wheelchair assistance upon request. To make sure a wheelchair is available at the proper time, it is best to reserve one in advance of a flight departure or arrival by contacting your airline. Wheelchair assistance also may be requested at airline ticket counters.

# FlyAway Bus Service

All buses on the FlyAway Bus Service, connecting the San Fernando Valley and LAX, are equipped with wheelchair lifts. Patrons should allow additional time to board the bus when scheduling a departure time. Drivers will assist patrons to get on and off the bus and will assist patrons with baggage.

# Transportation Between Terminals For the Disabled

If you have to travel from one terminal to another in order to make a flight connection, you can use the lift-equipped free LAX Shuttle "A" that operates continuously around the Central Terminal loop. When airline assistance is not available, contact the wheelchair shuttle service at Parking Lot C at (310) 646-6402 or (310) 646-8021.# Restaurants

All coffee shops and snack bars providing fast-food service and full-service restaurants are wheelchair-accessible in all passenger terminals.

# Other Assistance

Travelers Aid is available to facilitate services for the disabled. Inquire at their passenger information booths located on the Lower/Arrival Level adjacent to baggage claim in each terminal or call (310) 646-2270.

Recent security measures restrict public access beyond passenger screening to ticketed passengers only. However, airlines are allowing "persons with special needs" to be accompanied by health care assistants or guardians. If friends or family members want to accompany an elderly or disabled person to or from the aircraft gate, they need to obtain permission from the airline.

LAX'S SPECIAL ASSISTANCE VEHICLE SERVES TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has a special assistance vehicle to transport passengers with disabilities or special needs between passenger terminals and remote gates located on the airport's west end.

Due to the increasing volume of flights and shortage of boarding gates, LAX is accommodating passengers with disabilities on flights assisgned to the airport's remote gates with this $240,000 Special Assistance Vehivle. Air carriers request the special assistance vehicle several times a month.

In addition to providing transportation to individuals with disabilities, the special assistance vehicle is used to transport passengers on stretchers, organ transplant patients and seniors with specially equipped wheelchairs. Several air carriers are equipped to accommodate passengers with these types of medical needs.

"As a customer-oriented facility concerned about meeting the special needs of passengers with disabilities, LAX continually strives to provide the latest equipment and the most fitting accommodations for air travelers once they arrive at the airport," said Larry Rolon, coordinator of LAX 's Americans with Disabilities Act program. "This service is another tool available to the airlines and their passengers any time of the day, seven days a week."

To ensure safety and easy access, travelers enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle from the front and exit from the rear. The special assistance vehicle is parked directly beside the aircraft and the passenger compartment is raised to the level of the aircraft's door. Its safety features include a front platform that can pivot and self-adjust to eliminate gaps between the aircraft and the vehicle, and it also comes with a camera and microphone set for communications between the driver and the lift operator.

The vehicle can accommodate up to 21 passengers or seven wheelchairs. It is also equipped with electrical outlets to power various types of medical equipment. For light-sensitive passengers, the compartment's indoor lights can easily be dimmed to a comfortable level.

In addition to the special assistance vehicle, LAX offers a free standby van service to individuals with disabilities for service to and from economy Parking Lot C, or between the terminals. The van is equipped with a hydraulic wheelchair lift and is available upon request seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 3 a.m. by calling (310) 646-6402 or (310) 646-8021. Also, LAX Shuttle buses that transport passengers from economy Parking Lots B and C to the terminals, as well as the Van Nuys FlyAway buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts.