Why Airports Are Prompted To Exert More In Assisting Travelers With Autism, Dementia And Mental Health Issues

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) exposed an issuance last week, under CAA's new guidelines, to urge airports to provide better support for passengers with "hidden disabilities," especially the airports in Britain. In a bid to aid in stress reduction and anxiety for passengers with conditions including dementia, autism, mental health problems, visual impairment, hearing loss, and mobility issues when traveling through an airport or onboard an aircraft, this new guidance was developed in collaboration with various disability organizations, such as the Network Autism Organization.

The Network Autism Organization is an autism-friendly organization, alongside their community website, supports the reinforcement of the new guidelines to be implemented by the CAA to the largest airports in Britain and other UK airports. Also, the Network Autism also assists people with hidden disabilities through their online services, including setting up of discussions and support groups.

The CAA highlighted key measures to the include the provision of designated "routes and areas" that bypass the retail shopping areas to ensure the airport experience to be less confusing and convenient. They also stressed the importance of the communication flow of information to be clear, in a form audio messages and images; and in assisting travelers to locate essential public utilities such as toilets, assistance points, and quiet areas.

The CAA also included these basic guidelines, as issued last week, by the new CAA airport guidelines for travelers with hidden disabilities - airport staff, including security staff, should undergo hidden disability awareness training, as well as conducts to cover communication techniques. Airports should provide detailed and precise information to help with overall familiarization of the airport environment and ease anxiety and stress, particularly on passengers with hidden disabilities.

The CAA also added the following guidelines to ensure the comfort of these travelers - wearing a lanyard, bracelet or other suitably designed aid provided by the airport should be an option to people with hidden disabilities, to ensure they are easily identified and get the needed assistance. Provision of quiet areas to wait for flights, and quiet routes through the airport, should be provided to ease stress and disorientation particularly those with sensory impairments.

According to the CAA, airports are also being urged in the provision of accessible media, videos, and photos, rendering airport processes and allow for "open days" when travelers with disabilities can visit before their time of travel, that is to aid the familiarization with the airport setting and before arrival procedures. Airport staff is stirred to undertake hidden disability awareness and communication skills training, and security staff should elaborate what screening will be held and conduct necessary adjustments before beginning their searches, while travelers with disabilities must not be separated from their companion during a security search, as stated by the new guidelines.

Heathrow, a major airport in England, is said to be already working with the Department of Health and the Alzheimer's Society, one of the various disability groups, and is also challenged to implement the new guidelines, alongside thirty of Britain's largest airports. The thirty airports have been welcomed by various disability groups and the United Kingdom airports to reinforce the changes strongly.

In an interview with Telegraph Travel last week, the spokesperson of Heathrow Airport stated that one of the significant investments the Heathrow Airport is making this year, for example, is training all the customer-facing colleagues that work at the Heathrow Airport to be dementia-aware as part of the training efforts to be the world's first dementia-friendly airport. Heathrow Airport already held other initiatives such as the development of Senior Trained Additional Assistance Role (STAAR) teams who have been trained to assist travelers with hidden disabilities, specializing with autism, dementia, deaf and blind passengers.

Omniserv, a company that provides assistance to passengers with special requirements, and security personnel to develop training programs to help reduce anxiety for travelers, is said to be already working Heathrow Airport. Next year will be the publication of reports of improvements made across all of the airports.

Richard Moriarty, the director of the CAA's market and consumer group, said in a statement that the staff is pleased with the support UK airports and disability groups have provided to help them develop the new guidelines. To add to the report, Moriarty expressed that the implementation of the new guidelines is just the start, and they expect airports to make renovations to the services and assistance they provide in treating passengers with hidden disabilities, for over the next six months.

Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, stated that the department welcomes the CAA's tailored guidance which provides a great opportunity for all UK airports to meet the necessities of people with hidden disabilities better. Daniel Cadey, National Autistic Society's Autism Access Development Manager, also noted that people on the autism spectrum and families want the opportunity to travel and go on a holiday but many rely on routine and find the often busy, unpredictable and loud environment of airports disorienting and overwhelming.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society, declared that the new guidance from the CAA would provide clear guidelines to help UK airports become more dementia-friendly and transform the air travel experience for people with dementia and their carers.

Passengers with disabilities are legally entitled to free special assistance during air travel, under current EU legislation, which includes going through an airport as well as disembarking or boarding a flight. Travelers should inform their airline of the particular type of assistance needed forty-eight hours before travel, as advised by the CAA.

About 2.7 million passengers of the more than 254 million who went through UK airports were reported to be people with reduced mobility or disability, according to the figures recorded by the CAA last year. Back in 2014, hotels and tourist attractions in Britain were urged to do more to cater for Britain's nearly 11 million travelers with disabilities, following the Department for Work and Pensions' research on that year, which suggested that two-thirds of top attractions of Britain were not fully accessible to wheelchair users.