Wheelchair access at airports - A task for the airport and the wheelchair user
Author: Julia Krietzsch
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Have you ever think of the wheelchair access at airports and why it has been a controversial topic during the last decades? Since 2006, when a new EU-regulation came into force, all airports were forced to take wider responsibility and to make several adjustments to receive disability awareness and even before this regulation, under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), the industry had the responsibility not to treat the disabled less-favorable than the non-disabled people. Especially wheelchair users benefited from this, because the airport had to ensure from now on that they have a better access to all the locations and services and that they get assistance from the moment they arrive at the airport. That means that the EU-regulation and the Disability Discrimination Act had an improving effect on the travel behavior of the disabled. Besides this main benefit for the wheelchair users also airports had a great advantage of this, because besides the legal obligations and moral imperatives, it is a new business opportunity for them, because the disabled people have a great spending power and could increase the revenue of the airport. Nevertheless the airport has a great amount of costs to implement all of these changes. That means that there are a lot of advantages for both sides, but also several disadvantages.
The main disadvantage the wheelchair users may have to face is that it will need a lot of time to get all the information they need, concerning the travelling from the one airport to the other, which is much more complicated than for people without a disability. Moreover they have to pay attention to much more guidelines and regulations, for example if the airline will transport the wheelchair or not. In addition their travelling cannot be as stress-free as the travelling of others, also if there is assistance and help everywhere. Moreover some people do not like the special handling of themselves, because they want to be independent, but this is not possible at an airport. All of these drawbacks can be reasons for disabled people that they do not want to travel, because the effort is too great.
The greatest disadvantage for the airport is to do all the changes of services and facilities to guarantee the smooth access for the disabled. This includes all areas and services in the terminal building that are open to the public, such as toilets, shops, restaurants, lounges, viewing galleries, business centres and leisure facilities. That means that the providers have to take reasonable steps to make the use easier for them, for example with alternative methods or auxiliary aids. Since 2004 airports also had to alter existing features if the service was impossible to use for a disabled person. They had to make adjustments so that these people can use the building and its services. In the case that new services or premises are constructed the access and use for the disabled people has to be included. All of these adjustments will help the wheelchair user to feel safe and comfortable and will give him the feeling to be a "normal" passenger at the airport. But this will entail a great amount of expenses and time for the airport managing bodies. Furthermore it is necessary that all staff who is dealing directly with the travelling public must receive disability-equality and disability-awareness training and staff, who provides specialist services, like handling mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, need again an extra training. These measures are causing a lot of expenses for the airport and are taking a lot of time, which is the greatest disadvantage.
Although the disabled people have a great spending power it will take years to compensate these expenses. These are the reasons that wheelchair access and access for other disabled people at airports is such a controversial topic. However, despite these disadvantages for both sides it is the most important thing that disabled people are treated the same way as "normal" people, because they have the same right to travel as everyone else. Not just because of the law, but also because of ethics and the human rights. That means that the airports should see the changes they have to do as a matter of course and that the journey of a disabled passenger is not just a task for the airport, but also a task for the disabled.
References:
David, J (2008): Holidays for disabled travellers: tips and advice for travel agents, Travel Weekly: The Choice of Travel Professionals, pp. 43-45
Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) (2011): Access to air travel- Guidance for disabled and less mobile passengers, DPTAC: Access for all, pp. 1- 45
Kwan, J (2010): Access to the skies, Institute of Transport Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1, pp. 1-9
The main disadvantage the wheelchair users may have to face is that it will need a lot of time to get all the information they need, concerning the travelling from the one airport to the other, which is much more complicated than for people without a disability. Moreover they have to pay attention to much more guidelines and regulations, for example if the airline will transport the wheelchair or not. In addition their travelling cannot be as stress-free as the travelling of others, also if there is assistance and help everywhere. Moreover some people do not like the special handling of themselves, because they want to be independent, but this is not possible at an airport. All of these drawbacks can be reasons for disabled people that they do not want to travel, because the effort is too great.
The greatest disadvantage for the airport is to do all the changes of services and facilities to guarantee the smooth access for the disabled. This includes all areas and services in the terminal building that are open to the public, such as toilets, shops, restaurants, lounges, viewing galleries, business centres and leisure facilities. That means that the providers have to take reasonable steps to make the use easier for them, for example with alternative methods or auxiliary aids. Since 2004 airports also had to alter existing features if the service was impossible to use for a disabled person. They had to make adjustments so that these people can use the building and its services. In the case that new services or premises are constructed the access and use for the disabled people has to be included. All of these adjustments will help the wheelchair user to feel safe and comfortable and will give him the feeling to be a "normal" passenger at the airport. But this will entail a great amount of expenses and time for the airport managing bodies. Furthermore it is necessary that all staff who is dealing directly with the travelling public must receive disability-equality and disability-awareness training and staff, who provides specialist services, like handling mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, need again an extra training. These measures are causing a lot of expenses for the airport and are taking a lot of time, which is the greatest disadvantage.
Although the disabled people have a great spending power it will take years to compensate these expenses. These are the reasons that wheelchair access and access for other disabled people at airports is such a controversial topic. However, despite these disadvantages for both sides it is the most important thing that disabled people are treated the same way as "normal" people, because they have the same right to travel as everyone else. Not just because of the law, but also because of ethics and the human rights. That means that the airports should see the changes they have to do as a matter of course and that the journey of a disabled passenger is not just a task for the airport, but also a task for the disabled.
References:
David, J (2008): Holidays for disabled travellers: tips and advice for travel agents, Travel Weekly: The Choice of Travel Professionals, pp. 43-45
Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) (2011): Access to air travel- Guidance for disabled and less mobile passengers, DPTAC: Access for all, pp. 1- 45
Kwan, J (2010): Access to the skies, Institute of Transport Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1, pp. 1-9