Last month, Ireland’s Shannon Airport was the first airport in Europe to offer a multisensory room for passengers with neurodevelopment challenges like autism. The room, located near the airport’s departure lounge, includes calming features like an aquatic bubble tube, an undulated wavy wall, color-changing LED lights and a wheel projector.
During the inauguration of the new room, Niall Maloney, director of operations, Shannon Airport, urged other airports around Ireland and the world to become active about accommodating passengers with autism.
“I’m both delighted and proud that an Irish airport, Shannon Airport, is the first to introduce a sensory room in Europe,” said Maloney. “It’s in keeping with Shannon’s special reputation for looking after its passengers. The introduction last year of its hats and wristbands program and the addition this year of the sensory room is our way of showing our support for our customers with autism and special needs.”
As Shannon Airport paves a number of firsts with respect to special needs passengers, it joins other airports seeking alternatives for passengers traveling with autism. Vancouver International Airport also has a program in place to help staff and crew identify passengers with autism placing a special sticker on their boarding passes. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport opened a multisensory room last year in partnership with Delta Air Lines located on Concourse F. The room features a mini ball pit, bubbling water sculpture, a tactile activity panel and other activities designed to calm children before or after a flight.
Several airports include quiet rooms with limited sensory distractions for passengers. London Heathrow Airport introduced a quiet room in 2013, and Myrtle Beach International Airport introduced a similar concept last August in the airport’s baggage claim area.
A large number of airports in North America are participating in an annual dry run program so children with autism can become acclimated to the travel process. Developed in partnership with autism advocacy group The Arc, the Wings for Autism program helps to alleviate fears of the families of passengers with autism by educating Transportation Security Administration officials on how to interact with special needs passengers.
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