Universal Design Strategies for Inclusive Airports

Airport environments are unique because of the incredibly diverse demographics they serve. Passengers come from all walks of life, abilities, and experiences—including mobility, sensory, and cognitive challenges, family circumstances, and lived experiences. The World Bank estimates that over 1.3 billion people across the world live with some form of disability not including temporary disabilities, and together with their friends and families represent approximately $8 trillion in spending. In addition, many disabilities are not readily apparent which is why airport leadership should expect, embrace, plan, and design for disability as part of the human experience.

Most Americans are familiar with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) legislation that was signed on July 26, 1990, as the first civil rights law for people with disabilities. Today, we are entering a new era of inclusion with a focus on removing physical and social barriers of the past by implementing Universal Design strategies. These Universal Design best practices help airports create truly inclusive, accessible, and safer environments where independence, equity, and welcoming are the outcomes. In the built environment, sensory access is just as important as physical access. A sensory disability refers to a person having an impairment in one or more of their senses such as sight, sound, touch, smell, spatial awareness, and taste. Sensory accessibility is the design of environments, experiences, and resources to be welcoming and usable for people with sensory processing differences.  

Universal Design concepts address both physical and sensory access, helping make things easier for all airport users. Here are strategies you should consider when designing an airport facility:

1. The wayfinding should be clear and easy to read from a distance and available in multiple modes - providing visual, audible, and tactile cues.
2. Implement extensive depressed curb conditions versus code-minimum curb cuts at transit stops, drop-off and arrival zones allowing for easier, safer access options.
3. Utilize a simple quiet room for individuals who become over-stimulated.
4. Provide a lactation room that is easy to access and has door hardware indicating whether occupied or not.
5. Consider reach range. Organize merchandise in a vertical manner within 48 inches from the floor, allowing all items to be reachable from a lower level.
6. Provide plenty of resting areas with furniture choices including chairs with and without arms, flat and reclined seats, and rounded corners on tables.
7. On stairs, apply color contrast at the edge of each step and tactile handrail cues so that a user can more easily see each step and landing.
8. Apply audible warnings, signage and a yellow warning cue at the beginning and end of escalators and moving walkways.
9. Consider the Sunflower program for those who may have hidden disabilities and need more help in their airport experience.
10. Implement a procedure to safely evacuate individuals who can’t negotiate a level change in an emergency.
11. Minimize harsh reflections from artificial and natural lighting throughout the spaces, which can cause stress and confusion.
12. Provide vertical grab bars at each side of the accessible urinals.
13. Counters at ticketing, gates, car rental, retail, and information should be accessible, providing for a front approach for a face-to-face conversation. The counter should not exceed 34 inches above the floor and provide 27 inches of knee clearance between the bottom of the counter and the floor.
14. All glass partitions should have visual warning graphics at heights of 30 inches and 60 inches above the floor. This provides a visual cue alerting users of a glass wall or door.
15. Provide accessible family, all gender and co-companion restrooms with door hardware indicating whether occupied or not.

Adopting Universal Design into your airport facility project is an effective way to help everyone enjoy the travel experience while elevating safety. Contact us for more information.

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