In February our Accessibility and Inclusion Manager Emma took part in a ‘Try Before You Fly’ session at East Midlands Airport to explore the support that can be offered when flying with her assistance dog, Luna. Emma said: ‘it was great to see that East Midlands Airport have a proactive approach to accessibility. I was particularly excited by the airside grass spending areas for Luna!’
Here’s what East Midlands Airport have to say about their sessions, to find out more visit their website: https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/help/special-assistance/before-you-travel/
‘If you require some familiarisation with our airport ahead of travel, our Assisted Travel Team proudly operates a select number of Try Before You Fly events each year. Our Try Before You Fly tours are popular with (but not limited to) customers with autism or neurodivergence, or newly disabled people unfamiliar with our assistance and equipment. Each tour is personalised to your individual requirements.’
Emma is standing in the middle of an empty aircraft with red and grey seats on either side of her. Luna assistance dog is sitting in her red and yellow vest while Emma holds her yellow lead with black writing that reads ‘Assistance Dog’. Emma is looking at the camera with her arm on top of one of the seats next to her.
Transreport Take On Aviation
As a leading technology company centred around accessibility, we take great pride in our deep understanding of the barriers to accessible travel. We actively engage with disabled people, listening to their first-hand experiences with rail and air travel. By collaborating with industry experts and incorporating these valuable insights, we have developed tailor-made solutions that enhance accessibility and improve the overall travel experience for disabled and older passengers.
We host regular rail and aviation accessibility panels where disabled people ranging from campaigners, activists and high-profile spokespeople are paid for their time as they share their insights and experiences into travel. This enables us to understand the barriers to accessible travel more and to receive ongoing feedback about our products aligned to the experiences people are having within rail and aviation.
It is paramount that we understand the barriers to accessible travel and aviation is no exception in order for us to create bespoke solutions for organisations to improve their assistance processes resulting in improved customer satisfaction, increased profits and staff morale as processes are streamlined and effective for both disabled and older people, and staff alike.
As part of our commitment to promoting accessibility in air travel, we provide complimentary airport accessibility audits. These access audits are specifically designed to help airports review their accessibility management and culture in a structured and systematic manner.
Our team of experts will conduct a detailed evaluation of your facilities, services, and processes, identifying any areas that may present challenges for disabled and older people. We will then provide a comprehensive report that includes practical recommendations and solutions for removing barriers and creating accessible solutions. This continuous path of improvement empowers airports to make necessary adjustments and enhance their accessibility initiatives.
See our accessibility audit page for more information and book your free audit today.