Assessing Airport Programs for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults (2023)

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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 239 Assessing Airport Programs for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults Patricia Ryan Komal Sood Katty Metreveli IOS Partners Coral Gables, FL Open Doors Organization Chicago, IL Joanne Paternoster Butterfly Consulting Doylestown, PA Subscriber Categories Aviation • Passenger Transportation • Terminals and Facilities Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration 2023 

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 239 Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in transpor- Project 01-48 tation of people and goods and in regional, national, and international ISSN 2572-3731 (Print) commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with ISSN 2572-374X (Online) other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for man- ISBN 978-0-309-68722-5 aging and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state Library of Congress Control Number 2022942932 and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is © 2023 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trade- technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. 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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS CRP STAFF FOR ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 239 Christopher J. Hedges, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program Theresia H. Schatz, Senior Program Officer (retired) Demisha Williams, Senior Program Assistant Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications Lisa Whittington, Editor ACRP PROJECT 01-48 PANEL Field of Administration Steve Wareham, Landrum & Brown (retired), Cannon Falls, MN (Chair) Diane Carter, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, NC Adam Cohen, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Kevin Morse, Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN Lawrence J. Rolon, Ontario International Airport Authority, Ontario, Canada Kameelah Spence, Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (formerly), Memphis, TN Corina Wilkes, US Access Consultants, Inc., La Mesa, CA Wesley Major, FAA Liaison Raechel Rucker, Airports Council International–North America Liaison 

AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IOS Partners sincerely thanks the Task Force Committee for their valuable input and feedback on notable programs/services and assessment tools to address the needs of travelers with disabilities and older adults. ACRP Report 01-48 Task Force Committee José María Peral IOS Partners thanks the following individuals for their intensive efforts in assisting with conducting virtual focus groups: Michelle Mallory, Kansas City Aviation Department; Chelsea Rodriguez, Airport Volunteers & Customer Accessibility Manager at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA); Monique Bell, Los Angeles World Airports; Patty Edwards (formerly A4A); Mary Beth Thompson, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX); Anne Steverson, Mississippi State University; Carmen Green Smith, Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; Karen Ellis, San Antonio International Airport (SAT); and Pris Rogers, consultant to AFB. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf/Blind Youths and Adults, Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science, Lighthouse Guild, 

AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (Continued) Vision Rehabilitation Services, the United Spinal Association, and American Foundation for the Blind, which were very generous in assisting with identifying potential participants for the focus groups, as well as sharing their own data reflecting relevant travel-related perspectives of their community members. Other contributions made through participation in focus groups and surveys by travelers, airports, and organizations are too numerous to mention but were significant in providing input on airport programs for persons with disabilities and older adults and, subsequently, in constructing notable practices presented in this Guide. 

FOREWORD By Theresia H. Schatz Staff Officer Transportation Research Board ACRP Research Report 239: Assessing Airport Programs for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults is a guide that provides assessment tools, notable practices, and methodologies to help airports develop, monitor, and evaluate programs and services for travelers with dis- abilities and older adults with functional limitations due to age. The guide is applicable for a variety of airport types and sizes to utilize when evaluating existing programs, developing new programs, or implementing services to develop these programs. This guide outlines the different types of disabilities and demographics of airport users and provides insight into their unique needs. It offers practical suggestions related to digital (e.g., mobile apps) and facility accessibility, assistive services, communication, wayfinding, and ground transportation access issues. Further, it includes a review of the importance of the airport’s executive commitment to accessibility and inclusion for travelers with disabilities and older adults. All types of airports, including general aviation airports, were studied to identify unique programs and services, as well as the applicable assessment tools and metrics to evaluate their performance and effectiveness. In addition, the latest emerging technologies and their potential impacts (both positive and negative) on older travelers and those with disabilities were identified. The importance of gathering feedback and input from disability groups, senior centers, and advocacy groups when developing programs and services for the target groups is also highlighted in the guide. ACRP has undertaken several syntheses and research projects to identify and study the ways that airports provide assistance to older travelers and those with disabilities as they navigate through airports and use airport services. However, none of this research has con- ducted a systematic assessment of the effectiveness of these programs and services. Airports mainly have depended on anecdotal evidence to gauge the success of these programs and services. Research was needed to address this gap by providing examples of notable practices and appropriate evaluation tools. ACRP Project 01-48, “Assessing Airport Programs for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults,” was led by IOS Partners in association with Open Doors Organization and Butterfly Consulting. This project was conducted over a period of 16 months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and subsequent recovery. Despite the con- straints, the work was carried out with various research participants including airports, airlines, market research firms, business partners, service providers, and travelers from various disability and older adult segments. Numerous focus groups and surveys were conducted with input from travelers, airports, and various organizations in constructing the notable practices presented in this guide. Mini case studies and examples of effective 

programs, services, and strategies provide suggestions on how airports can better assess the effectiveness of their programs and meet the needs of travelers with disabilities and older adults. In addition to this guide, ACRP WebResource 14: Tools to Assess Airport Programs for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults is an associated online tool that provides summarized strategies to evaluate, monitor, and improve the effectiveness of airport pro- grams and services for different stages of the traveler’s airport journey. The tool includes video interviews with airports that are recognized as accessibility leaders in the industry. Access the tool at crp.trb.org/acrpwebresource14. 

CONTENTS 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 2 1.1  Research Objective 2 1.2 Overview 3 1.3  Research Approach and Methodology 4 1.4  Intended Benefits of the Research 5 1.5  Navigating the Guide 7 1.6  Limitations of the Research Effort 8 Chapter 2  Addressing Traveler Needs 8 2.1  Evolution of Travel Market for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults 10 2.2  Traveler Segmentation 12 2.3  Needs of Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults: Industry Data 14 Chapter 3 Assessing Airport Programs Through Performance Management 14 3.1 Introduction 16 3.2  Customer Satisfaction Assessment Tools 25 3.3  Airport-Wide Assessment Tools 26 3.4  Benchmarks and KPIs 29 3.5  Longer-Term Initiatives 29 3.6  Mini Case Study 31 Chapter 4  Airport Commitment and Strategy 31 4.1 Introduction 32 4.2  Strategic Elements 37 4.3  Airport-Wide Human Resources Management 40 4.4  Accessibility/Disability Awareness Training 41 4.5  SLAs/Contracts and Other Methods of Oversight 42 4.6  Managing Service Gaps 42 4.7 Collaboration with Communities of Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities 45 4.8  Mini Case Study 46 Chapter 5  Key Business Partner and Airport Staff Services 46 5.1 Introduction 46 5.2  Assistive Services and Assistive Programs 52 5.3 Other Third-Party Services 53 5.4  Collaboration Between the Airport and Other Stakeholders 55 5.5  Mini Case Study 

56 Chapter 6  Effective Communication and Navigation 56 6.1 Introduction 56 6.2  Digital Accessibility 60 6.3  Pre-trip Communication and Information 63 6.4  On-Site Customer Communication and Information 66 6.5 Wayfinding 73 6.6  Emergency Planning and IROPS 76 6.7  Mini Case Study 77 Chapter 7  Facility Accessibility 77 7.1 Introduction 77 7.2  Access on Arrival 81 7.3 Terminal Layout and Design 85 7.4  Equipment Accessibility and Accessible Airport Features 92 7.5  Mini Case Study 93 Chapter 8  Implementation Plan 93 8.1  Guidelines for Implementing Research Findings 102 8.2  Conclusion 103 Acronyms and Abbreviations 105 References and Bibliography 112 Appendix A  Additional Resources for Market Segmentation 115 Appendix B Additional Resources for Managing Emergency Events 117 Appendix C  Key Terms and Definitions Note: Photographs, figures, and tables in this report may have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the web at nap.nationalacademies.org) retains the color versions.