Montreal, 10 December 2015 - In order to enhance services and facilities for
passengers with disabilities, Airports Council International (ACI) and Open
Doors Organization (ODO) will offer a new series of workshops in the US for
aviation managers and access coordinators. The first introductory-level
workshop, Passengers with Reduced Mobility, is scheduled for 16-18 May 2016
in San Francisco. A second intermediate-level course, focusing on the roles
and responsibilities of airport access coordinators, will launch in the
third quarter of 2016. Additional workshops are to come in 2017.
These new training offerings represent a growing partnership between ACI and
ODO, the aim of which is to help the aviation industry better accommodate
travelers with disabilities or reduced mobility. At certain US hubs,
airlines provide more than one million wheelchair assists per year. An
eLearning course from ODO, Disability Sensitivity Training, has been offered
through ACI's Online Learning Centre for several years. Moreover, speakers
from ODO regularly share their specialized knowledge at ACI events
worldwide.
"The goal is great customer service for everyone," notes ODO's Executive
Director and Founder Eric Lipp. "However, we know that providing an
accessible, trouble-free air travel experience is no simple matter. It
requires not only knowledge and expertise, but also detailed planning and
design, a lot of cooperation and an ongoing commitment. At ODO we bring a
unique perspective and passion to our training and I'm pleased that ACI is
recognizing the need for access and helping us to reach the aviation
professionals who can really make a difference."
The Passengers with Reduced Mobility workshop will provide an introduction
to US disability rights legislation, architectural accessibility standards,
adaptive information technology and how to appropriately accommodate a wide
range of passengers with disabilities. The interactive course will conclude
with a walking tour of the airport, and will focus on accessibility elements
such as how travelers with disabilities function and navigate within this
complex environment. Additional details on this course, as well as the
intermediate-level course focusing on the roles and responsibilities of
airport access coordinators, will be available shortly.
"ACI has partnered with ODO on a number of occasions in the past, always to
great effect, and these workshops are no exception," says Angela Gittens,
Director General, ACI World. "Statistics from ODO's most recent nationwide
survey indicate that the number of passengers with reduced mobility moving
through US airports is increasing. As an industry we want to ensure that air
travel is a convenient and enjoyable experience for all travelers, and this
initiative goes a long way toward reaching that goal."
Open Doors Organization (ODO), a non-profit organization based in Chicago,
IL, was founded in 2000 for the purpose of teaching businesses how to
succeed in the disability market and make their goods and services
accessible. ODO focuses primarily on travel and tourism and has developed
numerous training programmes for airports, airlines, airline service
companies and ground handlers. ODO has hosted Universal Access in Airports
biennially since 2006, a unique educational event which brings aviation
stakeholders together to share best practices. To learn more about ODO's
aviation-related initiatives, visit the ODO website (opendoorsnfp.org).
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