Air Travel Is Extra Hard for Wheelchair Users. Here’s How the Government Wants to Fix It.

The government is proposing new measures aimed at addressing problems that have made commercial air travel challenging, unpleasant and, at times, unsafe for those with disabilities. Some of the measures would clarify existing rules or formalize current practices. Altogether, the proposal is the biggest expansion of passenger rights for wheelchair users in more than 15 years, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The proposal doesn’t require airlines to find a way to allow people to remain in wheelchairs while flying, which Buttigieg said will likely take years of research and development. And it could be some time before the newly outlined steps are finalized and implemented following public comments. The rule-making process can grind on for months or years.

Several of the measures announced this week seek to address persistently high rates of mishandled wheelchairs.

Wheelchair users have to be transferred to their seats using a skinny airplane aisle chair, handing their devices over to airline workers to be stowed away. Many have grown frustrated over the years by high rates of broken equipment.

More than one out of every 100 wheelchairs and scooters transported in cargo compartments of domestic flights are damaged, delayed, lost or stolen, according to government data. That rate is significantly higher than for other checked luggage and hasn’t improved much over the past several years, the Transportation Department said.

“We haven’t had the kind of economic incentives that compel airlines to pay enough attention to proper handling of wheelchairs," Buttigieg said.

Airlines for America, a trade group that represents several major carriers, said airlines have made progress in reducing wheelchair mishandling. The group said airlines are continuing to take steps to improve accessibility and services for passengers with disabilities.

The proposal would make it easier for the department to penalize airlines for mishandling wheelchairs. Buttigieg said it clarifies that any lost, damaged or stolen wheelchair will result in a violation, even if the airline didn’t take the device apart to stow it.

The proposal also seeks to give passengers the option to use their preferred vendor to repair or replace a wheelchair rather than relying on the carrier. Passengers with disabilities have complained that the process of having an airline repair or replace a device can be “messy, lengthy and frustrating," the department said.

The proposed rules would require that a handler be waiting at the gate to help a wheelchair user get off a plane by the time the last unassisted passenger walks off. Current rules require carriers to provide “prompt" assistance, without a specified time frame.

Those who assist passengers or handle wheelchairs would be required to go through annual training to ensure they can provide help that is not only safe but also dignified. The department cited consumer complaints alleging incidents such as being lifted improperly causing a passenger’s pants to slide off, and incidents when passengers have been injured after being dropped or bumped.

Write to Alison Sider at alison.sider@wsj.com