A disability pushchair may look similar to an ordinary buggy or pushchair, but it can be essential mobility equipment for a disabled child or young person. It may provide postural support, prevent falls, reduce pain, support regulation or make it possible to move safely through an airport.
Airlines and airport staff don’t always ask for a doctor’s letter. Disabled passengers are entitled to request assistance, and UK guidance says disabled travellers can carry up to two items of mobility equipment free of charge. However, a clear letter can help explain why a larger pushchair is a mobility aid rather than standard baby equipment.
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This guide explains what to ask a GP, consultant, occupational therapist or other suitable healthcare professional to include on a letter for a disability pushchair to make travelling easier.
For more information about travelling with a special needs pushchair, my guide to travelling with a disability pushchair explains what to expect. For more about travelling with a mobility limitation, my general guide to travelling with reduced mobility is a great starting point.
Do You Need a Doctor’s Letter for a Disability Pushchair?
There isn’t one rule used by every airline or airport. Some families travel without being asked for medical evidence. Others find that a letter helps when the child is older than the usual pushchair age, the equipment is unusually large or heavy, or staff initially treat it as ordinary baggage.
A letter may also be useful when you request gate delivery, need the pushchair until the aircraft door, or want staff to understand that a standard airport wheelchair isn’t a suitable replacement.
Check the operating airline’s current policy before travel. The airline may ask for equipment dimensions, weight, battery details or a medical clearance form instead of, or in addition to, a supporting letter. It can be helpful to store important information in a factsheet about the pushchair which you can refer to easily any time you travel.
Who Should Write the Letter For a Disability Pushchair?
The letter for a disability pushchair should come from a healthcare professional who understands the traveller’s needs and can explain the functional purpose of the pushchair. This might be:
- A GP.
- A paediatrician or hospital consultant.
- An occupational therapist.
- A physiotherapist.
- A specialist nurse or other regulated clinician familiar with the child’s care.
An airline may have its own rules about who can complete a medical form if they ask for one to be completed. Check those requirements before paying for a private letter.
What a Doctor’s Letter For a Disability Pushchair Should Include
The most useful letters are short, specific and focused on what the traveller needs during the journey. They don’t need to include a full medical history.
The Traveller’s Details
Ask the clinician to include the traveller’s full name and date of birth. These should match the passport and booking.
Confirmation of Disability or Medical Need
The letter should confirm that the traveller has a disability, long-term condition or functional impairment. A detailed diagnosis may be helpful in some situations, but it isn’t always necessary.
Functional wording is often more useful than a diagnosis alone. For example, the letter might explain that the child can’t walk safely over airport distances, has limited stamina, is at risk of falls, needs postural support or requires a secure familiar seat to prevent distress and unsafe movement.
A Clear Statement That the Pushchair Is a Mobility Aid
This is one of the most important points. Ask the clinician to state clearly that the disability pushchair is prescribed, recommended or required as mobility equipment.
The letter should avoid describing it only as a pushchair or convenience item. Suitable wording could say that it is an essential disability-related mobility aid used in place of, or for the same purpose as, a wheelchair.
Why an Ordinary Pushchair or Airport Wheelchair Isn’t Suitable
Where relevant, the letter should explain why a standard alternative wouldn’t meet the traveller’s needs. This may be because the disability pushchair provides:
- Specialist postural or head support.
- A harness or positioning system.
- Protection from falls or unsafe movement.
- Support for fatigue, pain or muscle weakness.
- A familiar, regulated space during sensory overload.
- Safe positioning during long waits.
- A suitable size for an older or larger child.
The explanation should be accurate for the individual traveller. It shouldn’t make claims that the clinician can’t support.
How Long the Traveller Needs the Pushchair
If the child needs the pushchair through check-in, security and the departure gate, ask for this to be stated. The letter can also explain whether the traveller needs it returned at the aircraft door or immediately after landing rather than at the baggage carousel.
Gate delivery can depend on airport procedures, aircraft type and operational safety. A letter supports the request but doesn’t guarantee that the equipment can be brought to the aircraft door at every airport.
Any Important Handling Instructions
The letter may briefly mention that the equipment must be handled carefully because it is essential mobility equipment. Detailed folding, lifting and storage instructions are usually better placed on a separate handling sheet attached to the pushchair.
If the pushchair has a battery or powered component, contact the airline in advance. Airlines commonly require the battery type, watt-hour rating, method of isolation and other technical information for safe carriage.
Airlines apply codes to the booking of a passenger who travels with their own wheelchair, you can learn more about these wheelchair codes in my guide to airline disability and SSR codes.
The Clinician’s Details
The letter should be dated and written on headed paper where possible. It should include the clinician’s name, professional role, registration or practice details, contact information and signature.
Suggested Wording for a Letter For a Disability Pushchair
The healthcare professional should use their own clinical judgement, but the following example shows the type of information that can be useful:
To whom it may concern,
[Full name], date of birth [date], has a disability or long-term condition that affects [their] ability to walk safely and manage the physical and sensory demands of an airport.
[Name] requires the use of a [make and model, if known] disability pushchair. This equipment is an essential mobility aid and is used for [brief functional reasons, such as limited walking tolerance, postural support, safety or regulation]. It isn’t an ordinary pushchair or convenience item.
A standard airport wheelchair or ordinary buggy wouldn’t meet [name]’s needs because [brief explanation]. [Name] requires access to the disability pushchair throughout the airport and, where operationally possible, until boarding. It should be returned as close to the aircraft as local procedures allow.
Please treat this equipment as disability-related mobility equipment and handle it with appropriate care.
Signed and dated by [clinician’s name, role and contact details].
The letter should be personalised. Remove any wording that doesn’t apply and add specific information that will help staff understand the traveller’s actual needs.
What Not to Put in the Letter
A supporting letter doesn’t need to contain every diagnosis, medication or appointment. Avoid including unnecessary confidential information that doesn’t explain the mobility need.
- Don’t use vague wording such as “may benefit from a pushchair”.
- Don’t describe essential equipment as optional or only for convenience.
- Don’t ask the clinician to guarantee a specific airport procedure.
- Don’t include inaccurate claims about airline law or policy.
- Don’t rely on the letter as a replacement for booking special assistance.
To learn more about airport special assistance read up about it in my dedicated guide and for more about airport assistance for an autistic child I have a guide to special assistance for hidden disabilities.
Ask the Airline These Questions Before You Fly
Contact the operating airline, ideally when booking and at least 48 hours before departure where possible. Explain that the traveller uses a disability pushchair as mobility equipment and that you will bring along a letter for the disability pushchair.
It will also be beneficial to ask the following:
- Will the pushchair be recorded as mobility equipment?
- Can it be used through the airport and taken to the aircraft door?
- Where will it be returned after landing?
- Do you require a doctor’s letter or your own medical form?
- What dimensions and weight information do you need?
- Are there any restrictions for batteries or powered accessories?
- How should removable parts be packed or labelled?
- Has the assistance request been added to every flight sector?
Keep written confirmation or take screenshots of the booking notes. Airline assistance and medical clearance are related but separate processes. Our guide explaining what the MEDA airline code means can help you understand when an airline may involve its medical team.
Documents to Carry With a Letter For a Disability Pushchair
Carry the original doctors letter for a disability pushchair and keep a digital copy on your phone or cloud storage. I like to store my documents on a Google drive so I can access them from anywhere I have an internet connection.
It can also help to bring:
- The airline’s written confirmation of special assistance.
- A copy of the equipment prescription or occupational therapy report, if available.
- The manufacturer’s information showing the model, dimensions and weight.
- A simple handling guide with photographs.
- Battery documentation for powered equipment.
- Photographs showing the pushchair’s condition before check-in.
- Travel insurance details.
- Contact details for the equipment supplier or repairer.
Only share medical documents when they are needed. Keep personal information secure and avoid attaching sensitive paperwork to the outside of the pushchair.
At the Airport With a Disability Pushchair
Arrive with enough time to explain the equipment and confirm the handover arrangements. Show the medical professionals letter for a disability pushchair at check-in or at the special assistance desk if staff need evidence that the pushchair is a mobility aid.
Ask staff to label it correctly and confirm where it will be returned. Remove loose items such as trays, rain covers, bags and communication devices where practical. Attach a clear handling sheet with the traveller’s name and your contact number. You can also attach your own label to the disability pushchair or its carry bag and I have one available to download that I created that explains the pushchair is a mobility aid.
Special assistance procedures vary between airports. Reading a detailed example, like the airport assistance guides linked in this guide, can help you think through each stage of the journey and the questions to ask.
FAQ About Travel Letters For a Disability Pushchair
Does the Letter For a Disability Pushchair Need to Name the Child’s Diagnosis?
Not always. It may be enough to confirm a disability or long-term condition and explain the child’s functional mobility, safety and postural needs. Ask the airline whether a letter for a disabilitu pushchair requires more specific evidence.
How Recent Should the Letter For a Disability Pushchair Be?
There is no universal validity period for a disability pushchair letter. Some airlines set time limits for medical certificates or fitness-to-fly documents. Check the policy for the operating airline and each flight sector.
Will a Doctor’s Letter For a Disability Pushchair Guarantee Gate Delivery?
No. It provides useful evidence, but gate delivery may depend on the airport, arrival stand, aircraft, staffing and local safety procedures. Confirm the plan in advance and again at check-in.
Can an Occupational Therapist Write the Letter For a Disability Pushchair?
Often, yes. An occupational therapist may be well placed to explain why the pushchair is essential mobility and postural equipment. However, an airline may require a doctor to complete a formal medical clearance form.
What if Staff Say It Is Just a Buggy?
Calmly explain that it is disability-related mobility equipment and show the supporting letter. Ask for a supervisor or special assistance representative if the issue isn’t resolved. Keep notes of names, times and what was said.
Is There a Tag I Can Use to Notify Staff That This Pushchair is a Wheelchair?
Yes. You can attach a wheelchair or disability pushchair luggage tag to make it immediately clear to airline and airport staff that the pushchair is being used as a mobility aid. I have created a tag that you can print and attach to your mobility aid before travelling. However, a tag does not replace notifying the airline about the wheelchair or disability pushchair in advance or following the airline’s procedures for travelling with mobility equipment. Find my pushchair tag here.
A doctor’s letter for a disability pushchair can make travelling so much easier by clearly explaining that the pushchair is an essential mobility aid rather than simply a standard buggy or stroller. Make sure the letter identifies the passenger, explains why the disability pushchair is required and includes any other information that may help airline or airport staff understand their mobility needs. Keep a digital copy as well as the original when travelling, and remember to contact the airline in advance to register the pushchair as mobility equipment and arrange any additional assistance you may need.
Continue Planning Your Travels With Autistic Kids
- Find out about the help available if you are travelling through an airport
- Discover whether a cruise with an autistic child would work for your family
- Find out how to make travelling with ADHD manageable
- Learn more about the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard
- Check out guides to all of the different destinations we have travelled to with autistic children
- Learn step-by-step how to set up the accessibility feature on Google maps
- Learn more about our favourite sensory toys for travelling
- Discover an app that helps you locate a playground anywhere in the world
- Always alerted at the last minute that the little one needs a toilet? Find a toilet anywhere with this app
Continue Planning Your Accessible Trip With My Guides
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