IOS Partners, Inc. was recently contracted by the National Academy of Sciences Airport Cooperative Research Board to prepare a guidebook with assessment tools to help airports develop, monitor and evaluate programs and services that improve the airport experience for travelers with disabilities and older adults. The guidebook will be developed for a variety of types and sizes of airports to utilize when considering new and evaluating existing programs and services. Considerations be given to:
- The different types of disabilities
- Demographics of airport users
- Digital accessibility
- Facility accessibility
- Wayfinding
- Ground transportation and access
For this project, the IOS Partners Research Team will undertake the following tasks:
- Secondary research
- Primary research including:
- Interviews, focus groups, and site visits
- Mystery shopping
- Creation of a task force including airports, airlines, service providers and business partners, and other organizations involved with persons with disabilities and older adults
- Development of a multimedia presentation on an interactive platform
- Development of a guidebook
This research project will provide valuable tools for airports around the U.S. to assess the programs in place for travelers with disabilities and older adults and ultimately enhance the travel experience for these selected groups.
