Air Travel TTG Features
Recent research has shown that families with children who have mental health challenges often shun travel over concerns about the airport experience
Airports address autistic needs
UK airports are legally obliged to assist travellers with special needs, but which regional airports are going the extra mile for passengers with ‘invisible’ disabilities? Chloe Cann finds out
associated with stern security, queues and anxiety. So imagine how disconcerting they must seem to those with mental health problems, disabilities or learning difficulties. New research commissioned by the CAA revealed that passengers with a
L
ike hospitals and dentists’ waiting rooms, the Spartan halls of airports can be unsettling places, often
disability or reduced mobility (PRM) are significantly less likely to fly than others, with many saying access worries are reasons not to fly.
Raising awareness “An airport is a strange environment for somebody that doesn’t work in one,” says Daniel King, the customer contact manager for Manchester Airports Group. “It’s an alien
environment, especially for a child with autism.” In 2009, Manchester
airport launched its Airport Awareness scheme, targeted at families with autistic children who intend to travel through
the airport. Initially, the scheme involved literature that could be downloaded online or sent in the post, but the project has rapidly developed over the past couple of years. “One of the guys that works in the customer contact centre has a child on the autistic spectrum,” says King. “He said there was a lot more we could do to prepare parents that have children with autism. So we made it our mission to provide families with information, reassurance and the ability to pre-book services.” In 2013, Airport Awareness was
relaunched with accompanying videos, voiced by former Boyzone singer Keith Duffy (pictured), who has a daughter with autism. The videos offer information about each stage of the airport experience,
offering parents and children insight into what to expect. “It takes all the surprise and confusion out of the experience,” says King. The MAG airports
have also Turn to 42 20.08.2015 41
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