Complaint from deaf traveler at Austin airport sparks changes to TSA policy

A recent complaint concerning the Transportation Security Administration’s treatment of a deaf passenger at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport prompted changes in the ways the agency treats travelers with accessibility needs.

Topher Avila, who is deaf, told the Airport Advisory Commission at its Feb. 8 meeting that he was stopped by a TSA official during a recent visit to the airport.

Avila recently completed a legal name change and arrived at the airport with a government ID, a stamped copy of the name change paperwork, his old ID, and his Social Security card. When he reached security, he was pulled aside by a TSA agent but no interpreter was made available for assistance.

After about 20 minutes, Avila was allowed to clear the checkpoint. However, just after crossing he was detained again. This time, TSA took his backpack and cell phone, leaving him unable to communicate or understand why he was being detained. When he asked for his phone back, Avila said an agent “put their finger in my face.”

“There was no attempt to communicate or explain what was going on,” Avila said.

Minutes passed with no indication as to when he would be allowed to leave or get his possessions back and Avila grew frustrated that he couldn’t communicate without his cell phone. He again asked TSA agents for his phone, but his request was denied. A passerby who offered his phone to Avila was also rebuffed by the agents.

“And again I was stuck without knowing what was going on,” Avila said.

After more than an hour, Avila’s possessions were returned to him. When he asked the agent who returned the items what had happened, the agent wrote him a note that simply said “policy.”

“You could’ve explained something at the beginning, but you didn’t,” Avila said. “You just neglected and you left me standing here.”

Avila requested an avenue for filing a formal complaint, but the agent would not give him anything beyond a comment card. Further efforts on his part to reach TSA with a complaint were also brushed off, he said.

“I just want to ensure that this doesn’t happen again for any deaf person or any individual,” he said.

Chair Eugene Sepulveda said he saw Avila’s social media post on the subject, as well as a response from the airport’s social media account that directed him to TSA.

Airport officials do not supervise TSA agents.

“I wish we would have embraced the situation ourselves further,” Sepulveda said. “So immediately I wrote to the staff.”

ABIA’s chief operating officer, Ghizlane Badawi, made contact with TSA to address its handling of the situation. According to Sepulveda, TSA’s initial response was “inadequate” and Badawi was forced to reach out a second time.

“I would like to start by thanking Mr. Avila for sharing your experience with us, and to apologize on behalf of TSA for your negative experience at our airport,” she said. “We take every experience seriously and we apologize for the experience that you had.”

Badawi said she has discussed the incident with TSA leadership and that the agency has made changes to its internal processes as a result, so travelers with accessibility needs will now be directed through checkpoints in a timely manner.

TSA issued a press release about its customer care program, which was shared with all airport employees. Airline ticket counters now have business cards with the program’s contact information. Additionally, the airport has done its own awareness campaign surrounding the program, and TSA has promised to add trained passenger support specialists at each checkpoint.

Photo by Altairkh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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