An Open Letter to the TSA

I cleared by security and finished filling out the paperwork for the paramedics. They apologized with how the seasoned TSO handled my situation. I was inappropriately discriminated against due to my medical condition and I would like a complete formal review conducted of the incident.

TSA’s Response

Good afternoon Ms. [Name Redacted],

We appreciate that you have taken the time to contact the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) about a screening experience at [Airport Redacted] on September 10, 2017. We apologize if you feel that TSA did not provide the service you expected.

TSA’s Disability Branch (DB) requested that TSA officials at the airport look into your concerns, and a representative may contact you about your screening experience to better understand the incident.

In conjunction with the airport, DB would like to talk with you about your concerns. Please reply to this email with a phone number and time during which a DB staff member can contact you on week-days between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. I will be available to talk during this time. If you are unable or choose not to communicate by phone, please reply to this email with your preferred method of contact.

Please provide the information within ten (10) days of the date of receipt of this correspondence. If we do not receive the information within 10 days, we will be unable to proceed with the processing of your complaint. However, the complaint may be reopened after the 10-day period if you can show good cause for no response during the timeframe.

Thank you,

[Name Redacted]
Disability Branch
Traveler Engagement Division
Transportation Security Administration
[Phone Redacted]

~Success is not a destination, it’s a journey~

I spent over an hour on the phone with an incredibly nice woman who worked for the Disability Branch of the Transportation Security Administration. As I dialogued with her about the incident, we came to an incredibly troubling conclusion: The seasoned transportation security officer was following procedure. But that procedure harmed me due to my disability.

I did not bring this to TSA’s attention for money or restitution.

I wanted education.
I wanted awareness.
I wanted respect.

And I am excited to say that we reached an agreeable resolution.

Hi Amber,

Wanted to get back to you before too much time passed. I appreciate you sharing the information about your disability; Addison’s Disease, aka Primary Adrenal Insufficiency. I spoke with my supervisor about sharing the final document about Addison’s Disease with you. She agreed that it would be a great idea, and I will see to it that you get it. In making a determination about the document’s circulation, I decided that it will reach a wider audience if it is provided to ALL TSA airport management for their national shift briefs, where the information is shared with the TSA frontline screening workforce throughout the country. Training documents that will be provided directly to the [Airport Redacted] will include: Best Practices – Disability Etiquette; Best Practices – Reasonable Accommodation Requests, and Effective Communications. These materials provided by our office will serve to further educate and inform the officers at [Airport Redacted] about providing reasonable accommodation requests, effective communication and etiquette when interacting with individuals with disabilities and medical conditions.

I want to again thank you for speaking with me on September 15, 2017 to discuss your complaint regarding your screening experience at [Airport Redacted]. I want to also share about two services that may be of interest to you.

• TSA Cares is a helpline for travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. TSA Cares agents have received special training to provide callers with specific information about the screening of travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. In addition, you may provide a TSA Cares agent with a flight itinerary before upcoming travel. The agent will notify TSA officials at the airports to allow them to prepare for your screening and assist you through the screening checkpoint. You can contact TSA Cares toll free at 855-787-2227 (Federal Relay 711) from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST from Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST on weekends and holidays. We strongly recommend that you contact TSA Cares no later than 72 hours before travel.

• The Passenger Support Specialist (PSS) program was created to assist passengers with disabilities and medical conditions. Passenger Support Specialists receive specialized disability training, including how to assist and communicate with individuals with disabilities. Although they are not always available, the goal is to have a PSS in the vicinity of an airport’s checkpoints to provide proactive assistance and resolve traveler-related screening concerns. You can request a PSS at the checkpoint, or you can ask for the assistance of a Supervisory Transportation Security Officer.

Currently, I am having technical difficulties and unable to view any video footage, but did not want to delay reaching out to you regarding the informal resolution we discussed. You stated that as an informal resolution, you would be agreeable to the airport TSOs being informed about proper customer service protocol and of your specific disability. In order to get this process started, I am sending this email to receive your confirmation about the informal resolution. Please reply to this email and type, “I agree to this resolution” within ten (10) days of the date of receipt of this correspondence in order to close the complaint. If you do not reply with this statement within ten (10) days of the date of receipt of this correspondence, the Disability Branch will consider the proposed resolution agreed to, unless you can show good cause for not being able to respond during the timeframe. Please feel free to contact me by email and/or telephone at [Phone Redacted] if you need anything else. Again, thank you for sharing your experience with me.

Respectfully,

[Name Redacted]
Disability Branch
Traveler Engagement Division
Transportation Security Administration
[Phone Redacted]

~Success is not a destination, it’s a journey~

Concluding Thoughts

In a separate blog post, I shall elaborate on what caused this particular crash. Like I stated at the beginning, I am a frequent traveler, and I have never experienced anything quite like this. Although it was an unbelievably horrible episode, something amazing came out of it.

Y’all, can we just acknowledge that ALL TSA airport management is going to receive information on Primary Adrenal Insufficiency? TSA airport management will be required to share that information with their employees during shift briefs?

That. Is. Huge.

TSA employs over 55,000 people and there are approximately 47,000 Transportation Security Officers. Forty-seven thousand people will hear about Primary Adrenal Insufficiency all because one seasoned TSO refused to give me access to my water and medicine. Perhaps that information will enable just a single person to remain Clearly Alive. And when it does, the experience was totally worth it.