b'ACCESSIBILITY|INCLUSIVITY SPECIAL REPORT MCI 51PHOTO: LUCAS BLAIR SIMPSONADA as a Forethought Inclusive RestroomsEarly on, the project team decided to use the Americans withIn addition to traditional single-gender restrooms, each concourse Disabilities Act (ADA) as a starting point, not a finish line. As a result,in MCIs new terminal has an all-gender restroom with multiple every check-in desk, gate desk and information kiosk are accessiblestalls and a family restroom equipped with a motorized, adult-sized to customers in wheelchairs. And every piece of millwork in thechanging table.building is set to ADA height. The Aviation Department determined that broadening the In contrast, many airports have only one ADA-compliantavailable options was a priority to improve accessibility and ticketing location. While this approach may meet federalinclusion. Each stall in the multi-user all-gender restrooms features requirements, it can also make some travelers feel as if they are ana toilet, full-height partitions for privacy and security, strobe afterthought. We wanted that touchpoint to be positive for everyand sprinkler. Benches within the all-gender restrooms provide traveler, so they feel thought of and cared for intentionallynoa place for people to wait for their travel companions. Beyond matter what, Meyer explains. accommodating LGBTQ guests, these restrooms are also useful The new terminal also features gently sloping floors ratherfor parents traveling with opposite-gender children who are not than ramps to ease the journey through the terminal. Skidmore,old enough to use gender-specific restrooms alone or for adults Owings & Merrill minimized level changes throughout the terminaltraveling with an elderly parent who might need assistanceall and worked to create an efficient plan, with minimal walkingregardless of gender. By combining the stall count of two single-distancea strategy especially appreciated by guests withgender restrooms, we reduced wait time, Pierce adds.reduced mobility. Meyers reports that response to the additional restroom options and other inclusive features has been overwhelmingly positive. Rooms for Respite Watching people utilize the building and watching people With the inherent hustle and bustle of air travel, airport terminals canexperience the touchpoints and the thoughtfulness of things has be loud and overwhelming. At MCI, travelers who need a break frombeen really rewarding, he says. To see how people have been the crowds, gate announcements and other constant stimuli havekind of empowered by thoughtfulness and care has been straight two options: a sensory room and a meditation/quiet room.to the heartrewarding and reinforcing.The sensory room offers passengers on the autism spectrumAll restrooms (including single-gender) have added features, and their travel companions a private place to de-stress beforesuch as red and green lights to indicate whether stalls are or after flights. It is stocked with specialty toys for children andoccupied or unoccupied. And all stalls are larger than required, outfitted with surfaces and lighting effects to help calm the senses. with outward-swinging doors to provide room for passengers The meditation/quiet room was developed in cooperation with theto maneuver more easily with their bags. Every set of restrooms Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council to be all-inclusive. In additionhas a dedicated nursing room, a family restroom and a room for to providing a space for religious worship, the room can be usedchanging clothes, complete with a bench and full-length mirror.by secular travelers who are simply seeking respite, people withPierce notes that the difference between building single-gender dementia and their caretakers, those wishing to meditate, etc. and all-gender restrooms is negligiblebasically, a few extra inches of Details in the sensory and meditation/quiet rooms were heavilypartition per stall to create greater privacy. In fact, all-gender restrooms influenced by input from local residents, advocacy groups and airportcan be more cost-effective. By combining single-gender restrooms, staff. Again, the goal was inclusivenessor, as Meyer puts it, makingredundant circulation space is reduced, he explains. Additionally, the everyone feel thought of by focusing on humans and hearts.level of service is increased as passengers will no longer see long lines at the womens room while stalls remain free in the mens.Boarding and Deplaning Practice FacilitiesAs designers incorporated accessible and inclusive features into theTo help alleviate the fear of flying that plagues some passengers, building plans, the Aviation Department was inspired to improve basicMCI worked with Kansas-based Dimensional Innovations to airport-specific infrastructure such as passenger boarding bridges.create the Kansas City Air Travel Experience. This special amenity It was really motivating to see how in every step of the process,includes a mock gate area, a simulated passenger boarding bridge theres a way to do things in a better way, Meyer remarks. Theand an authentic aircraft cabin created from the front section of a Aviation Department opted for glass boarding bridges from JBT,decommissioned Airbus A-321 fuselage. The experience simulates which offer passengers a climate-controlled environment whenthe entire airport/air travel experience, from check-in through boarding and deplaning. The glass structures also offer relieflanding, including a 15-minute simulation in the A-321 cabin, to to travelers with anxiety or claustrophobia when compared tohelp anxious passengers become more comfortable flying. Travelers traditional opaque boarding bridges. Thats a horrible experiencewith sensory issues, autism spectrum disorders and auditory and/to stand in a narrowing tube with no air movement, muses Meyer. or visual impairments often benefit greatly from experiencing specific The glass boarding bridges at the new terminal provide a muchelements of the travel process before their actual flights. better experience, he adds. Its like youre stepping outsidewith the comforts of not being in the rain or cold or heat.AirportImprovement.comMay | June 2023'