{"id":9363,"date":"2022-05-30T10:38:26","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T10:38:26","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-04-09T11:41:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T10:41:27","slug":"accessible-air-travel-for-disabled-passengers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reciteme.com\/us\/news\/accessible-air-travel-for-disabled-passengers\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessible Air Travel for Disabled Passengers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Everyone should have the same opportunities to travel. Yet, when it comes to flying, the needs of disabled passengers are often neglected at every customer touchpoint.<\/p>

With much of the world slowly reopened and most travel restrictions lifeted, many of us are booking trips and looking forward to vacations and much-needed summer sun after a couple of years of limited accessibility. For most of us, that limited accessibility has been a temporary inconvenience. But for passengers with disabilities, it\u2019s nothing new.<\/p>

5 Key Air Travel Accessibility Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>

  1. Accessibility factors should be a strategic priority for leading airports and airlines.<\/p><\/li>

  2. Accessibility adjustments should include solutions for passengers with both physical and hidden disabilities.<\/p><\/li>

  3. For many passengers, accessibility issues begin from the very first time they click on a travel website.<\/p><\/li>

  4. There are extra logistical considerations for disabled passengers. Lack of information and assistance is discriminatory, inhibits sales, and demonstrates poor service.<\/p><\/li>

  5. Airports and airlines providing Recite Me accessibility technology support thousands of unique people to access vital travel information barrier-free.<\/p><\/li><\/ol>

    What is Accessible Air Travel?<\/strong><\/h2>

    Physical access plays a significant role, and every airport and airline should be doing as much as possible to meet the needs of passengers with mobility issues. But that\u2019s not the whole story. It\u2019s estimated that 1 in every 4 people in the US lives with a disability, including hidden disabilities like vision problems, neurological differences, cognitive impairments, language issues, and learning difficulties.<\/p>

    In addition to accommodating physical needs, airports and airlines must provide appropriate digital assistance for passengers with a range of hidden disabilities, whose issues often begin way before they reach the plane.<\/p>

    Join us as we take a look at the entire passenger journey from all accessibility standpoints.<\/p>

    Booking and Checking-in Online\"66%<\/strong><\/h2>

    For many passengers, accessibility issues begin from the very first time they click on a travel website.<\/p>

    Globally, airport and airline websites receive millions of clicks every day, and the diversity of site visitors is incredibly wide-ranging.<\/p>

    In 2021, two-thirds of revenue in the global travel and tourism market came from online sales channels<\/a> via a mobile app or website without human interaction. In the post-pandemic world, this figure is likely to be even higher. You’d probably think that’s a good thing. Online booking is quick, easy, and efficient after all. But while that may be the case for many people, it’s not as straightforward for passengers without disabilities.<\/p>

    Common Website Problems<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>

    Lack of information is a barrier in its own right, and for many internet users, travel websites are simply not accessible:<\/p>

    Text and Fonts<\/strong> – People with vision problems<\/a> like partial blindness and deafblindness<\/a> cannot read information online when the font type, sizing, and spacing are not suitable. Many price comparison tables and calendars on travel sites use small font sizes that are too small to read.<\/p>

    Navigation <\/strong>– Those with physical disabilities or conditions like Parkinson\u2019s disease, arthritis, or Multiple Sclerosis have decreased upper body motor function and cannot navigate websites that are not keyboard-friendly. Many booking forms are missing labels, making it impossible to purchase flight tickets without assistance.<\/p>

    Graphics and Images<\/strong> – Epileptic website visitors may be triggered by flashing images promoting \u2018hot deals\u2019 or carousels of fast-moving images that cannot be removed.<\/p>

    Formatting <\/strong>– Website visitors with learning difficulties like ADHD and hyperlexia cannot find the information they need on poorly formatted web pages.<\/p>

    Colour Contrasts<\/strong> – For people with conditions like dyslexia and color blindness<\/a>, availability calendars on flight booking websites have inadequate contrast between the text, headers, and background, making it impossible to understand what dates are available.<\/p>

    Languages <\/strong>– People who speak English as a second language, or not at all, cannot adequately understand the content. Without a translation option, they will simply leave the page and book with a competitor.<\/p>

    Captions and Alt Tags<\/strong> – Deaf website visitors are denied information when on-page video content is not presented with captions. Plus, many website visitors rely on alt tags on images for additional information and content. Yet, you\u2019d be surprised how many images are simply named \u2018JPEG00462\u2019 rather than having a title that provides context and adds value.<\/p>

    On top of this, there are extra logistical considerations for disabled passengers. For example, few websites offer a clear way to book additional space for a wheelchair or solutions on how to get around paying a whole extra fare to pay for another passenger to assist them.<\/p>

    \"\"<\/p>

    “I don\u2019t know about you, but I prefer talking to a real person when I book my travel tickets. The reason being online bookings often don\u2019t allow you to specifically book a disabled wheelchair space. Booking flights online can also be a disaster. In some cases, you have to get the dimensions of your wheelchair. And if you are like me and are unable to walk, flying without a companion is a case of: THE COMPUTER SAYS HELL NO! Why is this?<\/p>

    Sam Renke, Actress and Disability Campaigner<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>

    What Effect Does This Have on Disabled Passengers? <\/strong><\/h2>

    First and foremost, it stops people from booking. Not to mention, it’s incredibly poor service and can be a humiliating experience for passengers. Yes, online booking should be possible, and it should work equally well for everyone. But there also needs to be easily accessible alternative methods of purchase.<\/p>

    \u201cThe flexibility needs to be there for customers to communicate in their preferred way. Businesses should be empowering customers by giving them choice, rather than making them ask for alternatives or work harder to get responses. \u201c<\/p>

    Caroline Wells, CEO, Different Petal<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>

    How Recite Me Can Help <\/strong><\/h2>

    Our assistive toolbar<\/a> includes styling options that allow website visitors to personalize font size, type, and color options to make information easier to read. They can also select text-only mode to strip away graphics and page clutter, and use a screen mask and ruler for better focus.<\/p>

    Navigating the Airport<\/strong><\/h2>

    Airports are complicated and challenging environments at the best of times, and even more so for travelers with disabilities. Common problems faced include:<\/p>