Investigation Calls on Irish Aviation Industry to Improve Travel for People with Disabilities.
As the summer holidays approach, people all over Ireland are getting ready to travel overseas. It is estimated that 12 million people will travel through Irish airports in the next three months alone. Among these passengers are some of the 1.1 million in Ireland who have a disability, over half of which are disabilities that are not visible or apparent to other people. While many people savour the excitement and sometimes frenetic nature of air travel, for people with disabilities, travelling by air presents some specific and persistent challenges that can make it an experience to endure, rather than enjoy.
In their 2024 report, “Towards Inclusive Air Travel – Evaluating and Enhancing Accessibility in the Irish Aviation Industry for People with Disabilities”, Vision Ireland and The Wayfinding Centre highlighted significant issues hindering independent and dignified air travel for people with disabilities.
These include challenges with the provision of timely and appropriate assistance, challenges in boarding aircraft and in securing in-flight support, and damage in transit to essential mobility aids and equipment. The report recommended several focus areas for the aviation sector including increasing disability awareness and training for aviation sector staff; improving the accessibility of facilities and communications and seeking greater levels of collaboration with disability groups and advocates.
In this context, Vision Ireland and The Wayfinding Centre welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Irish Aviation Authority’s ‘Statement of Strategy for 2026 to 2028’, amplifying the voices of people with disabilities who are calling for improvements to their air travel experience. They believe that the IAA can take a more proactive role in promoting, enabling, incentivising and enforcing the changes required.
Importantly, one of the most important and impactful changes requires little or no investment by the key players in the industry. Specifically, it is the opportunity for the sector to show people with disabilities that they care by demonstrating awareness of and empathy for people with disabilities. This can be achieved by providing mandatory disability awareness training and refresher training to all airport and airline staff including retail team members, empowering them with the knowledge and understanding to assist and support appropriately.
In addition, providing clear and accessible information and communication before, during and after travel helps people with disabilities to prepare and navigate their journeys with greater ease and independence, reducing stress. A key point for the aviation sector to note is the implementation in June of the European Accessibility Act (EEA), which will help drive digital accessibility in systems and technology. Finally, the anxiety that comes with unexpected events or tasks in the travel journey can be removed by applying processes and protocols consistently, ideally across sectors and geographies.
As well as staff members, Vision Ireland and The Wayfinding Centre encourage everybody to think about how they can make a positive difference to the travel experience of passengers with disabilities. Kevin Kelly, who is Head of Policy, Partnerships and External Affairs for Vision Ireland and is blind, has this advice, “If you are flying out this summer, be aware that passengers around you may have a disability, even if you cannot see it. Simply being patient and respecting personal space can make a huge difference to someone’s experience. If you notice that a person is having difficulty, ask if they would like some help and await their response before taking action. Do not feel badly or take offence if the person declines – there is never an issue with offering help respectfully.”
As airports, ghostwriter schweiz and airlines ready themselves for the busiest time of their year, The Wayfinding Centre’s report underscores the scale of change required to meet the ambition of equal access to air travel for passengers with disabilities. However, it also shows that there are positive steps that can be taken immediately if the sector is willing. With the IAA formulating its strategy for the next three years and EU aviation laws under review, now is the time for change.
