Under a federal ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ (DEI) initiative, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking to ensure a portion of new hires include individuals with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. The FAA employs around 45,000 federal workers who regulate American aviation safety standards and oversee air traffic controllers.
“Targeted disabilities are those disabilities that the Federal government, as a matter of policy, has identified for special emphasis in recruitment and hiring,” the FAA states on their government website, adding: “They include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism.”
The DEI initiative raises concerns about the agency’s ability to ensure air travel safety in the United States. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg — whose Department of Transportation oversees the FAA — has come under increasing scrutiny due to perceived lapses in flight consistency and safety. Thousands of flights have been canceled over the past several days following weather disruptions and the grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max airliner over door-plug safety concerns.
A series of safety incidents involving Boeing aircraft have caused increased fears over flying in the U.S. Most recently, a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane operated by Alaska Airlines experienced a door plug blowing out shortly after takeoff, leaving the cabin and passengers exposed to the outside elements. The aircraft safely turned around and landed, with only minor injuries reported.
In adopting the DEI initiative, neither Secretary Buttigieg nor FAA leadership have explained how increased diversity – including individuals who may suffer from mental instability or cognitive deficiencies – will increase airline production and safety.
