Airports are falling short when it comes to enhancing accessibility for all travellers. Chloë Greenbank reports on the need for greater awareness and consistency when catering for passengers with disabilities.
This article, “Breaking Barriers”, was originally published in the September 2024 edition of Regional Gateway. If you would like to read similar articles, apply for your complimentary subscription to Regional Gateway.
Enhancing airport accessibility to meet global demand
“There just isn’t enough understanding or consistency!” It’s a commonly echoed sentiment when engaging with others on the topic of airport accessibility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that globally one billion people live with some form of disability, and studies suggest they represent a significant and growing segment of the travel market.
In the US alone, more than 25 million adults with disabilities report travelling regularly.
Accessibility challenges in air travel
”It's really important that airports employ staff of all accessibilities, so they really understand and have access to the requirement of all travellers.
Harvey MatthewsonAdvocacy Manager at Aerobility
For Harvey Matthewson, Advocacy Manager at Aerobility – a UK charity that provides the disabled community access to flight training and aviation education – the lack of understanding is a major barrier to achieving accessibility in air travel.
Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of two, Matthewson has overcome many challenges, which in addition to his condition included a phobia of flying, to earn his private pilot’s licence (PPL) in 2019.
Despite his achievements, however, he still finds the whole travel experience as an air passenger far from ideal.
Aerobility is a UK charity that provides the disabled community access and knowledge to the aviation industry. Image; Aerobility
“For me, it’s not about mobility,” he tells Regional Gateway. “I don’t need assistance to move around the airport, but I do face difficulties with tasks like using plastic or wooden cutlery, navigating washrooms (particularly during a flight as I can struggle with my balance) and operating self-service machines.”
He highlights the need for physical staff presence at airports for tasks like attaching luggage tags.
“Security screening is also a major stress for me as I struggle to remove all the items from my baggage and the necessary clothing at speed.”
Matthewson also points out that consistency in service across all airports is crucial, as he says that attitude and understanding among staff makes a significant difference.
“It’s really important that airports employ staff of all abilities, so they really understand and have access to the requirements of all travelling passengers.”
Aerobility is collaborating on the Equal Skies Charter, an initiative aimed at increasing disability employment in aviation and aerospace, which in turn will improve services and experiences for passengers with disabilities.
“The Charter seeks to build a community within the industry to help raise awareness for employers through resources such as a buddy system and regional guidelines to help employers engage and develop the sector,” says Matthewson.
Advocating for inclusive design in airports
Speaking on behalf of Arup’s Access and Inclusive Environments team, consultants Carly Dickson and Sarah Jones, echo Matthewson.
“Airports are at risk of underserving passengers and staff if they rely on minimum accessibility standards,” they say.
The pair advocate for considering a greater diversity of people from the beginning of the design process, with Arup encouraging clients to use the social model of disability, which focuses on creating environments that contribute to a more socially sustainable world. It’s also about considering regulatory, economic, cultural and other specific contexts.
Arup advises airport clients to think broadly about inclusive design. This means thinking more broadly to “encompass physical, sensory and cognitive access as well as considering other protected characteristics and the intersections between,” note Dickson and Jones.
“For example, lighting, acoustics, biophilic features, intuitive wayfinding and signage – provided not only visually through symbols and words but also through tactile and audio means – are examples of inclusive design considerations that build on the clear widths, reach ranges and step-free routes historically associated with accessibility.”
Airport accessibility and the need for change
Aerobility CEO Mike Miller-Smith, who has muscular dystrophy and permanently uses an electric wheelchair, has a very different set of requirements to his colleague Matthewson.
Awarded an MBE for his services to disability within aviation, he continues to work, drive and fly.
“The situation broadly hasn’t changed over the last 20 years in terms of how accessible airports are,” he says.
“I recently travelled through [a primary hub] in the UK and there was just that fundamental lack of understanding and awareness about what I needed.”
He also notes that, based on his own experiences, regional airports tend to do a much better job of providing accessibility than larger hubs.
“Perhaps that’s down to the scale and lower volumes of traffic they’re handling, but there is an opportunity for smaller airports to lead in accessibility efforts,” he says, citing Newquay Cornwall Airport, which has a user group of disabled people trialling its services.
“It’s widely apparent there just isn’t that ‘lived experience’ in organisations across the industry that are expected to deliver services for Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM), non-visible disabilities and sensory impairments. These organisations don’t employ disabled people or get disabled people directly involved, so their understanding of the services and assistance that’s required isn’t there.”
Miller-Smith’s electric wheelchair, which he calls his “lifeline”, is a heavy piece of equipment – and in his own words Miller-Smith is “a big guy”.
Helping him out of his wheelchair, into the aisle chair and then on to the aircraft itself, is a process that requires strong, experienced individuals. The added complication is that this service is often outsourced to a third party, which can also make it hard to determine who is responsible for equipment that is damaged during transit.
Creating a seamless passenger journey for passengers with mobility issues
According to Tres Izzard, President of WHILL Mobility Services North America, passengers with limited mobility represent the fastest growing segment of travellers.
“With the global population ageing – projections indicate that by 2050 there will be 2.1 billion individuals over 60 – the need for innovative mobility solutions is imperative,” he says.
An autonomous chair from WHILL Mobility services, looking to aid Passengers with Reduced Mobility. Image; WHILL
With its autonomous mobility service positioned to address this growing demand, WHILL has already partnered with airports including Winnipeg Richards International Airport in Canada, Los Angeles and Miami in the US, as well as Haneda, Narita and Kansai in Japan.
“Allowing passengers with mobility limitations to navigate independently, the service features include user-friendly touch screens, advanced collision avoidance technology and safe transport to departure gates, or gate-to-gate,” explains Izzard.
He adds that the WHILL team works closely with airport staff to map out the safest, most reliable route throughout the airport to create a seamless experience for the wheelchair user.
The company is also introducing new features, including a system to dispatch chairs to arrival gates for connecting flight assistance and is working on elevator integration, which is currently being tested in Japan.
WHILL has also partnered with Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia, where it has deployed its C2 Power Chair as a non-autonomous solution for PRM.
Equal opportunities for Passengers with Reduced Mobility
Jo Rowan, Associate Director at London-based design firm PriestmanGoode, reiterates the importance of consistency across all airports to ensure that “passengers with reduced mobility can travel with confidence”.
Whatever their reason for travelling, time spent by passengers in an airport is a significant part of the overall journey, while for airport operators passenger time is a major source of revenue from retail and hospitality.
“Our research shows that wheelchair users are invited to check in earlier than other passengers, then escorted to their gate and left to wait until boarding time,” says Rowan.
“They miss all the possibilities to explore – and spend. For passengers with other forms of reduced mobility, the distances involved in navigating through an airport are a major barrier.”
Introducing the Geo: a self-driving vehicle improving airport accessibility for travellers
Last year, PriestmanGoode – along with Centaur Robotics and location technology experts Naurt – unveiled a prototype for a self-driving personal vehicle called the Geo, which Rowan says aims to “bring back the joy of air travel for Passengers with Reduced Mobility. ”
The Geo, which fits into the space of a dining chair, is equipped with integrated tracking and navigation technology, enabling passengers to control their journey.
“It doesn’t just consider passengers who use wheelchairs,” says Rowan. “It caters for the ageing
demographic, passengers who struggle with walking a quarter of a mile and who are perhaps not travelling at all today.
The Geo self-driving personal vehicle aims to bring back the joy of air travel for Passengers with Reduced Mobility. Image; PriestmanGoode
“The key is consistency. If the solution is developed for a hub where passengers depart, they need the same solution and system when they land.
“Without this consistency, passengers will not have confidence or trust in the system.”
While it’s easy to imagine the Geo in larger airports with the option of dedicated lanes, Rowan says its design is “agile with a small footprint and integrated sensors, moving at walking pace, which makes it very appropriate for smaller regional airports too.”
To integrate the Geo concept into the overall system, there would need to be charging points at multiple locations, but the vehicle would align with other devices in terms of cleaning and maintenance.
The Geo: improving time efficiency and navigation in airports for accessible travelling
”Everyone should feel empowered to travel through an airport independently and enjoy the whole experience.
Jo RowanAssociate Director at PriestmanGoode
Furthermore, digital solutions within Geo also know where passengers are at any given time and how long it will take them to get to their gate.
“It’s possible to communicate and prompt them when needed,” notes Rowan. “This means the users don’t need to arrive at the gate hours in advance.
“The Geo also has the potential to offer an exclusive fast-track service and allows passengers to pre-select stop-off points as they navigate their way to the departure gate.
“Universal design means a single vehicle brings multiple benefits to a diverse range of passengers.
“The app that supports the Geo also has huge benefits in creating bespoke routes through the airport for other passengers. For example, it could plan and map a step-free route for families with buggies.”
While the Geo has been well received by airports and airlines, the next step is bringing it from concept to reality, for which Rowan acknowledges that further investment is required to move into production. PriestmanGoode is also behind the Air4All concept, which is designed to enable passengers to remain in their wheelchairs throughout their entire air transport journey.
While Rowan says “ it’s great to see change accelerating,” she acknowledges that the industry must continue to innovate and invest in solutions that enhance accessibility and provide a consistent experience for all passengers.
“Everyone should feel empowered to travel through an airport independently and enjoy the whole experience,” she adds.
The power of clear, concise communication
A regular and highly respected contributor to Regional Gateway, Paul Eden was diagnosed as autistic two years ago, aged 52.
” I can look back on years of pre-diagnosis airport experience and at how my perception has changes,” he says.
” Airports can address my challenges through better communication and consistency, in spoken words and signage.
“I hear everything at the same volume, so I’ve never heard a full airport announcement and often don’t hear them at all – a chime to draw attention and clear, well-paced speech would help.”
Aviation author Paul Eden has some airport accessibility suggestions. Image; Stewart Foley/CAE
Revealing that he tries to avoid human interaction, Eden adds:
” However, when it’s inevitable, I need clear, concise communication – especially because I’m also quite literal.
” A barked ‘laptop out of bag’ has me standing with laptop in one hand, bag in the other. ‘ Remove laptop and place in seperate tray’ is more likely to have the desired result.” Eden also notes that while pre-check-in and bag drop reduce human interaction, they also cause anxiety because n two airports ever seem to use the same equipment or procedures. He says:
“I believe my challenges are mine to manage, but wonder if easing the major hassles of my journey might remove niggles the sully the experience for anyone else.”
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