The Government of Canada offers tips on travelling with disabilities.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism. Our team is especially interested in their efforts to advance travel accessibility and the achievement of related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IATA represents, leads, and serves the aviation industry. It works with airlines, airports, and groups from the accessibility community to make flying as hassle-free as possible. Whenever we speak with Linda Ristagno (Assistant Director of External Affairs and Head of Accessibility), we are reminded that not all superheroes wear capes! As a guest of their working group, we have witnessed significant progress and a serious commitment to passengers with disabilities.  

INCLAVI is an eight-member consortium, co-funded by the European Union, whose mission is to make air transport the leader of accessibility and disability-inclusive development in the transport sector through education, training, and knowledge. Project member Ivan Berazhny (Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences) impressed us with his school’s efforts to integrate the project into the courses and involve students in the job of developing a curriculum and training materials. 

The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County (DSCORC) provides support for everyone impacted by dementia. It is (or should be) the go-to spot for community locals, but it also offers plenty of online resources for people living outside the National Capital Region. Our research team members have partnered with DSORC  to help reduce the stigma around dementia and promote active living. Our favorites include efforts to engage Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) to promote dementia-inclusive communities by offering businesses and organizations video-based training. 

Open Doors Organization teaches businesses how to succeed in the disability market while empowering the disability community. Founder Eric Lipp is a tireless advocate with excellent business acumen. He counts the trips made, the money being spent, and also the unrealized potential to be realized by serving adult travelers with disabilities. 

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program distributes badges or lanyards shaped like sunflowers, signaling to others that the wearer may need extra support, understanding, or accommodations due to a hidden disability.  We admire the elegant simplicity of this approach and the ambition to achieve worldwide adoption, including many Canadian airports. Kudos to Paul White and Ruth Rabet for bringing entrepreneurial spirit and innovation to the task!

Accessible air travel for people living with dementia is a pioneering research group at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom that has contributed to the Prime Minister’s Dementia Group for Air Transport since its inception in 2015. Our team has benefited greatly from conversations with Alison Warren,  Kate Turner, and Ian Sheriff, and we are grateful to our I-DAir working group collaborators.

Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group is an international collaboration of professionals, academics, and volunteers in aging and dementia services and support systems, including present and former dementia care partners and individuals who are living with dementia. Sara Barsel, Ph.D., is the founder and organizer - we always look forward to hearing what's next on her team's agenda. Check their collection of video clips that portray situations that are commonly encountered in an airport when travelers are living with dementia and other forms of brain change.