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PASSENGER EXPERIENCE  
May | June 2026      AirportImprovement.com
YHZ
Ongoing Efforts
Nicole Blanchard, HIAA’s airport 
experience manager, notes 
that airport employees work on 
accessibility year-round, and are 
seeking industry recognition of 
their efforts by applying for Airports 
Council International’s Accessibility 
Enhancement Certification in 2026. 
As part of its requirement to 
have a multi-year Accessibility Plan filed with the 
Canadian Transportation Agency, HIAA consults 
people with lived experience and uses that feedback 
to continuously make improvements toward a more 
accessible, barrier-free airport. 
Within the airport, employees are encouraged to 
provide feedback through an Accessibility Working 
Group.  “It’s made up of representatives from every 
department,” Blanchard says. “We meet monthly to 
review our Accessibility Plan initiatives and timelines.  
It’s a great place to share feedback from passengers 
and our airport community on things that are working 
well and what could be improved.”
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NICOLE BLANCHARD
Guests with less-apparent disabilities can wear sunflower lanyards and/or pins to let 
staff know they might need extra assistance. 

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