Vancouver International Airport (YVR) have proudly launched Beyond Accessibility, a comprehensive three-year Accessibility Plan that builds upon YVR’s long-standing work to provide a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible travel experience for people of all abilities.
“Accessibility is one of our top priorities and, as a diverse global hub, we remain committed to ensuring all travellers, guests, and employees have equal access at YVR. With this plan, we will continue to lead the way in delivering an inclusive and accessible airport through our programs and impactful partnerships inspired and informed by the lived experiences and needs of our community,” said Richard Beed, Vice President, People & Brand at Vancouver Airport Authority.
YVR’s new Accessibility Plan, Beyond Accessibility, was co-developed with input from the airport’s community partners and is designed to meet and exceed compliance with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). The plan follows the seven focus areas of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) and outlines what YVR has achieved, what it learned from consulting with the public, and areas for improvement. This includes continuing to enhance terminal facilities, communications technology, support programs, and procurement practices.
In addition to insights from its community partners, YVR considered inputs from airport employees, accessibility consultants, passengers, and the public as well as research from Leger and the Return on Disability Group.
For more than 30 years, YVR has been at the forefront of delivering inclusive and accessible facilities and guest services for people of all abilities. The plan builds upon YVR’s vision for an inclusive airport, realized through actions such as incorporating customer-inspired features in its newly expanded international terminal, which includes additional private washrooms, a quiet room, animal relief areas, a variety of seating options, and a new style of charging units; providing a dementia-friendly community; offering the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program; and, continued collaboration with key partners like Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN) to support neurodiverse individuals and their families in their journey through YVR.
Changing demographics, combined with an increasingly active community of people with disabilities, continues to inspire the team at YVR to create and deliver more inclusive terminal facilities and services that support people of all abilities. Updated every three years, YVR’s Accessibility Plan will allow the airport and its partners to continually test and adapt new accessibility practices through ongoing implementation and learning.
All of this would not be possible without the valuable support and contributions of YVR’s many community partners including, Canadian Mental Health Association, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Canucks Autism Network (CAN), Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS), Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN), Rick Hansen Foundation, Spinal Cord Injury – British Columbia (SCI BC), The Alzheimer Society of British Columbia, United Way British Columbia, Universal Access Design, and Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility.
To learn more about accessibility at YVR and read our Accessibility Plan, Beyond Accessibility, visit www.YVR.ca/Accessibility.
YVR has an Accessibility Certified Gold rating from the Rick Hansen Foundation – a rating system to measure the accessibility of buildings and sites. YVR was also the first airport to complete the assessment and one of the highest- rated buildings in British Columbia, receiving 93 out of 100 points.
