Supporting Nervous Travellers: How UK Airports Can Help and How Passengers Can Help Themselves
Air travel can be an exciting experience, but for many people it is also a major source of anxiety. Nervous flyers may worry about safety, crowds, unfamiliar processes or loss of control, while others experience broader anxiety linked to sensory overload, panic attacks or past negative experiences. In the UK, airports are increasingly recognising these […]
Helping Families Take Flight
Travel can be a rewarding experience for every family, but for families and guardians of children and young people with additional needs, it can also be a source of anxiety and logistical challenge, especially when it involves air travel. In the United Kingdom, there is both a legal framework and a range of practical supports […]
Living Between the Lines: An Honest Conversation With Andrew Edwards
Interview Living Between the Lines: An Honest Conversation With Andrew Edwards In this thoughtful and deeply personal interview, Andrew Edwards reflects on his journey as a person with autism, advocate, author and professional, sharing on the experiences that have shaped his voice, his resilience and his perspective over time. From early diagnosis to adulthood, he […]
Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Inclusive Air Travel for Neurodivergent Passengers
Neurodiversity Celebration Week Accessible Aviation Inclusive Travel 16–22 March Inclusive Air Travel for Neurodivergent Passengers Air travel is high input: procedures, sensory stimulation, and time pressure can combine quickly. This piece captures what makes the journey harder, where UK airports are improving, and what support keeps passengers in control. By Llinos Edwards Neurodiversity Celebration Week, […]
World Hearing Day: Making Air Travel Accessible for Passengers with Hearing Loss
World Hearing Day • 3 March World Hearing Day, held annually on March 3rd, raises awareness about the importance of ear and hearing care and the global issue of hearing loss. In the UK, it’s a great chance to think about how public spaces, especially airports, can become more accessible for people with hearing impairments. […]
Visibility of Disabled Travellers in Airline Marketing
“Too often disabled people are either missing from that content or are represented in an unrealistic way, reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes and leaving disabled people feeling overlooked and misunderstood.” Steven Morris, campaigns officer at Sense (UK) Express & Star Introduction For a long time, the travel and tourism industry has fallen short when it comes to […]
Supporting Neurodivergent Passengers Through Communication
Supporting Neurodivergent Travellers Through Communication: An Interview with Tara Harnwell Jones from Find Your Voice Communication can transform a journey. For many neurodivergent travellers and those who experience sensory overwhelm or shutdown, having the right tools available at the right moment can mean the difference between panic and empowerment. In this guest interview, we speak […]
Supporting Neurodiversity in Air Travel: Making UK Airports More Accessible for Every Mind
Air travel is inherently stressful: bright lights, sudden noises, crowds, frequent changes in instructions. For neurodivergent travellers, such as people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia or other neurological differences, these factors can escalate anxiety, disorientation or sensory overload. As the demand for accessible travel rises, UK airports and airlines must deepen their commitment to supporting […]
Finding Freedom in the Skies: Millie Bridger’s Story
Guest contribution from Millie Bridger: advocate, writer, community-builder, and Non-Executive Director with Access-air-bility. She leads milliebridger.com sharing lived experience, tools, and connection under the motto: “Inclusion first, happiness always.” Finding Freedom in the Skies: Millie Bridger’s Story Travel has always felt like magic to me. The moment a plane lifts into the air, the world […]
Championing Inclusion: A Conversation with Professor Chandrika Devarakonda
At Access-Air-Bility, we’re dedicated to bringing new voices and perspectives into the conversation around accessibility and inclusion in air travel. To explore the principles that shape inclusive practice more broadly, we spoke with Professor Chandrika Devarakonda of the University of Chester. Her work in early childhood, diversity, and inclusive education offers lessons that reach far […]