Non-Visible Disabilities Awareness course

It’s essential for the travel industry to make well-informed decisions to support all passengers, including those with non-visible disabilities. Due to the varied and often subtle nature of these disabilities, recognising and meeting their needs is particularly important. The primary aim is to ensure these passengers have the same opportunities for air travel as non-disabled individuals, particularly in terms of free movement, freedom of choice, and non-discrimination.

Our trainers leverage the latest information along with decades of both personal and professional experience. This allows us to provide a more accurate understanding of non-visible disabilities and address a broader range of questions from personal insight. In airports where our courses have been conducted, there’s been a noticeable increase in passenger trust among those with non-visible disabilities. We are also very proud to have co-authored the ACI Europe 2024 document “Assisting Passengers with Non-visible Disabilities”

Our Non-Visible Disability Awareness course addresses a variety of conditions and is designed to encourage group discussions around personal experiences, fostering an open-minded approach and a trusting atmosphere.

The course content, developed by our trainers based on real accounts from the airport passenger environment, is continuously updated to reflect new developments and ideas.

Our goal is to shift the mindset of staff, creating an inclusive and safe environment where both staff and passengers, regardless of condition or ability, can feel supported and included.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, the staff will be able to:

• Respect and empathize with the diverse needs of passengers.

• Determine and provide the appropriate assistance.

• Assist passengers more effectively with a deeper understanding of non-visible disabilities.

• Communicate across a wider platform.

• Understand many of the anxieties passengers may face and become more confident in addressing disabilities.

• Handle and process sensitive information from passengers regarding their needs.

• Reduce misunderstandings and disappointment, minimizing the likelihood of formal complaints.

 COURSE CONTENT

• Introduction to non-visible disabilities in general
• Tools available on the market for passengers to indicate their condition to service providers
• Factors affecting air travel for passengers with non-visible disabilities
• Effective communication with passengers with non-visible disabilities
• Medical equipment and medication to be carried by passengers with non-visible disabilities
• Website information to be covered for passengers with non-visible disabilities
• ACI Non-Visible disabilities handbook content
• Security screening and passengers with non-visible disabilities
• Importance of silent rooms and sensory rooms at airport terminals
• Provision of information in alternative formats (visual, audible, applications)
• Some conditions to be covered in this course:
  • Autism & Autism Spectrum Disorder’s
  • Hyper & Hypo sensitivities
  • ADHD
  • Dementia/Alzheimer’s
  • Stoma’s
  • Stress & Anxiety
  • Parkinson’s
  • Diabetes
  • Epilepsy
  • Chronic pain & fatigue
  • MS
  • Dyslexia
  • Mental Health condition’s

We will also cover within the course session:

• Hearing Impairments
• Visual Impairments
• General tips on assisting people with disabilities.

COURSE FORMAT
Two days’ classroom training

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
All customer facing staff within the airport community

PREREQUISITES
None

CERTIFICATE
A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the final examination to those participants obtaining a grade of 80% or higher.