exploring support of wheelchair users in Haneda international Airport of Japan

Abstract:
The paper aims to explore the exploring support of wheelchairs user in Haneda international Airport of Japan, to understand the support that airport can be done to remove the barrier of the reduced mobility.

Key words: Wheelchair users, Accessible Airport, Support

In the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the World Health Organization (WHO) defines disability as "an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions." It is estimated that more than one billion individuals worldwide, accounting for over 15% of the global population, have one or more impairments. Accessibility, although particularly important for people with disabilities, is a concept that benefits everyone as a whole. According to estimates, 30% of the population will have access requirements at some point in their lives. Recognizing the significance of accessibility, Haneda Airport in Japan has been recognized as the world's most accessible airport, as it received the top award in the category of accessibility in the World Airport Awards.

In Japan, the prevalence of disability is monitored by the Disability Information Resources (INDF), which collects data from various sources such as the Family Resources Survey. The survey conducted in 2022 suggests that approximately 7.6% of the Japanese population has some form of disability. This includes 4.36 million individuals with physical impairments, 1.09 million with intellectual disabilities, and 4.19 million with mental disabilities. As air travel continues to grow globally, the aviation sector in Japan has also experienced significant expansion. The number of passengers using Japanese airports has been steadily increasing, with an annual average of 103.34 million passengers before the impact of the avian influenza in 2020. This growth indicates a substantial number of potential travelers with disabilities who, if provided with appropriate accessibility measures, could access air travel more easily.
One of the key focuses of this research is the experience and assistance provided to wheelchair users at Haneda Airport. Wayfinding challenges are among the primary obstacles faced by wheelchair users in airports. These challenges include visual information overload, inadequate facility support, transferring between buildings, and long distances within terminals. In some airports, the existing wayfinding infrastructure and signage are not designed with wheelchair users in mind, leading to difficulties in navigation(Harding, J. R. et al., 2011). For example, signage that is easily visible to standing passengers may not be accessible to those in wheelchairs due to differences in eye heights. Moreover, the navigation of multiple floors in airports presents additional challenges for wheelchair users, as they often have limited mobility and can only use elevators for vertical movement.
To address these challenges, Haneda Airport has implemented various measures to improve accessibility and wayfinding for wheelchair users. The airport provides multiple information counters in each terminal, equipped with "information phones" that connect to the telephone center. Additionally, the airport's website offers downloadable maps in different languages, allowing wheelchair users to access essential information easily. Such initiatives have been found to reduce reliance on wayfinding signs and alleviate anxiety among wheelchair users, leading to a smoother and less stressful airport experience.

Facility support is another crucial aspect of accessibility. Haneda Airport offers wheelchair rental services at information counters, with different sizes of wheelchairs available for use within the terminal and up to the aircraft seat. Airport staff assist in delivering rented wheelchairs to desired locations, such as train stations or parking lots, upon request through information phones. Moreover, the airport provides passenger carts for customers who have concerns about walking or those traveling with small children. These services are offered to all customers and prioritize accessibility and convenience(Nobuaki Yokota, 2022).

Transferring between buildings can be particularly challenging for wheelchair users, given their limited mobility. Inconsistent accessibility infrastructure between airport buildings can pose difficulties, necessitating additional assistance or alternative routes. Haneda Airport addresses this issue by providing various transportation options, including free shuttle buses, monorails, and underground passageways. Elevators and induction blocks are strategically located, and communication support boards offer information on means of transportation. These measures ensure that wheelchair users have multiple accessible methods to transfer between different terminals, enhancing their mobility and convenience(Haneda Airport,2023).

Consequently, the approach of offering facilties support can be a potential approach to breaking barriers of poor experience for wheelchair users in airport. These strategies will make inclusiveairports and accordingly reduce direct and indirect poor experiences, which will contribute to the greater travel experience of tourists with wheelchair without fear of reduced mobility. Although improvement still can be made, such as provide better training to the staff.

Reference

Haneda airport (2023) Mobility-Impaired Customers | Customers Who Require Special Assistance | Service Guide | Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal. Available from https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/barrier-free_information/handicapped.html

Harding, J. R., M. Elizer, Jr., J. Alderman, M. J. Frankel, S. T. Chrysler, C. M. Poe, and T. Esch. (2011) ACRP Report 52: Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside. Washington, D.C.: Airport Cooperative Research Program, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

Nobuaki Yokota. (2022) 2022 Implementation Status Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) Terminals 1 and 2. tokyo: Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.

In this paper, the author highlights how Haneda Airport provide different support and facilities for wheelchair users. In which, wayfinding, facility support and limited mobility are the three main challenges that being discussed. However, there are still more discussions can be talked about in order to make the issue more inclusive.

One of the key challenges mentioned by the author is wayfinding. The difficulties of navigation are the same for travellers with impairments and those who use wheelchairs in airports. Time constraints and unfamiliarity with the complicated airport environment that is, visual information overload, a high population density, and loud ambient noise levels are common problematic variables (Legge et al., 2016). Mentioned by the authors, wheelchair users who frequently have limited mobility and can only utilise lifts for vertical movement, navigating numerous levels at airports presents significant obstacles. Moreover, wheelchair users will find it more difficult to change floors if lifts are not close to steps or escalators and there is no signage indicating the route between them. Additionally, wheelchair users struggle to use moving walkways, which makes it difficult for them to navigate the terminal's extensive wheeling distances (Harding Jr et al., 2017).

Besides, the author mentioned facility support in the airport as well in which wheelchairs rental service are available. However, the knowledge and training of staff is important as well to ensure they know how to assist wheelchair users. Additionally, staff members need to be trained to assist wheelchair users, assuring their comfort and safety throughout the rental process. Airports can guarantee that wheelchair rental services are offered effectively and that staff members are well-prepared to assist travellers with disabilities by providing personnel with the required training and knowledge. By building an environment of accessibility and support within the airport setting, this training can help make travelling in a wheelchair easier and more inclusive.

For building transfer for wheelchair users, apart from support from the Haneda Airport discussed by the author. Their effective signage and communication systems are also essential for facilitating successful building transitions. The installation of communication assistance boards at Haneda Airport, which provide details on the various modes of transit, including airport shuttle bus and train services etc, which gives wheelchair users the ability to plan their transfers with confidence (Haneda Airport, 2023). By having clear signage, the airports can then reduce stress and improve the entire travel experience for wheelchair users by offering clear directions and promoting user-friendly navigation.

Reference
Haneda Airport. (2023) Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal. Available from https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/index.html [accessed May 24, 2023].

Harding Jr, J.R., Bosch, S.J., Rayfield Jr, W.P., Florie, J., Van Horn, L., Pound, P., Lipp, E., Shevrin, J.T., Sanford, J.A. and Barbeau, S.J. (2017) Enhancing Airport Wayfinding for Aging Travelers and Persons with Disabilities.

Legge, G.E., Downey, C., Giudice, N.A. and Tjan, B.S. (2016) Indoor Airport Wayfinding for Blind and Visually Impaired Travelers. Indoor airport wayfinding for blind and visually impaired travelers,.

Within this paper the author uses Haneda Airport in Japan as a case study on how the airport can be used as a good practice example for other airports across the globe to follow. When completing this research, they identified the key areas where Haneda excels as an accessible airport for these wheelchair users in that they provide information sites throughout the airport as well as offering wheelchair rental services at these counters to aid the tourists on their journey. This is incredibly useful as during my own research I found one of the biggest challenges was that wheelchair users and their caregivers faced was a lack of information throughout the travel process. In addition to other research papers who have found how even though able-bodied passengers can also struggle with navigating new environments in airports, wheelchair uses face different difficulties in that the signage heights can be too high or in locations which they are not able to see them (Qing et al., 2021), Haneda again provides extra support to these travellers as mentioned in this authors paper.

In addition to this during my research the interviewee shared how another key accessibility challenge is the toilets, they shared how in airports especially this can be an issue from the toilets being too small to them not being cleaned enough which makes the overall experience more straining on both the person in the wheelchair and the caregiver. Haneda again stand out since they have 1 or 2 “multipurpose toilets’ alongside regular toilets throughout all of the terminals (Haneda Tokyo International Airport, 2023), compared to Manchester airport where my interviewee shared there were not many toilets in the terminal and the ones they could find were too small to use. By having this comparison, it strengthens the standpoint of how Haneda is excelling at supporting wheelchair users and setting a high standard for other airports to follow.

References:
Haneda Tokyo International Airport (2023) Toilets/multipurpose toilets. Haneda Tokyo International Airport. Available from https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/facilities/toilets.html?timestamp=1683619264564 [accessed 25 May 2023].

Qing, Z., Sun, C. and Reneker, J. (2021) evaluation of airport wayfinding accessibility with the use of a wheelchair simulator. Transportation Research Record, 2675(4) 52-60.