TRB Webinar: Breaking Down Barriers – Aiding Airport Travelers with Disabilities

Airports have made great strides toward improving accessibility for airport travelers with disabilities, but barriers still exist. TRB hosted a webinar on Tuesday, April 21 from 2:00 to 3:30 PM Eastern that addressed what else airports can do to aid travelers with disabilities. This webinar discussed practices that airports can use to implement more equitable services, facilities, and emergency communications. Presenters also discussed ways to interact with non-English speakers, as well as those with sensory processing disorders.

The webinar featured research from the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Report 201: Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs, and Research Report 210: Innovative Solutions to Facilitate Accessibility for Airport Travelers with Disabilities.

The slides are available. The recording of the webinar is below.
 
 

Webinar Presenters:

• Don Griffith, IEM
• Krista Houk, IEM
• Phil Burke, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
• Laurel Van Horn, Open Doors Organization

Moderated by: Meaghan Smalley, Jacksonville International Airport

 Webinar Outline

1. Unique requirements of persons with disabilities and other challenges during airport emergency communication
2. Steps airports must take to comply with emergency communications provisions under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
3. Available technologies for improved communication with persons with disabilities and non-English speakers
4. Solutions for airports to improve access for passengers with a variety of physical, sensory and/or cognitive challenges
5. Methods that encourage continual process improvement among stakeholders
6. Airport case study
7. Question and answer session

The first 60 minutes of the webinar will be for presentations and the final 30 minutes will be reserved for audience questions.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, you will able to:

• Discuss how to effectively communicate with persons with disabilities and other challenges during emergencies
• List the technologies available for improved communication
• Identify how airports, airlines, and service companies are applying the practices identified in the guidebook to address unmet needs of travelers

Continuing Education Units for Accredited Airport Executives

The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) will provide 1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) to accredited airport executives who attend this webinar. Claim CEUs by visiting www.aaae.org/ceu. For questions about AAAE continuing education units, please contact accreditation@aaae.org.

Registration is available until just before the webinar starts. Once the webinar starts, you will be unable to submit your registration. Individuals that are registered for a webinar but do not receive their confirmation emails due to their organization’s internal firewalls should contact the TRB Helpdesk for assistance in signing in.

Registration questions? Contact Reggie Gillum.