Austin airport joins hidden disabilities project
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People await baggage at the Austin airport. Photo courtesy AUS.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has launched a new service to ease travel for people with non-visible disabilities.
Why it matters: Airports can be chaotic and disorienting for all of us, but travel can be especially challenging for people with a range of non-visible disabilities, including autism, anxiety disorders, dementia, and Crohn's disease, among others.
How it works: Passengers (or their companions) with non-visible disabilities can order a sunflower lanyard to wear around their neck while at the airport.
- The green lanyard with sunflowers works as a discreet visual cue to indicate to airport staff and other passengers that the wearer (or someone with them) has a non-visible disability and may need a little more time, support or assistance.
What they're saying: "It's our responsibility to provide services that support every passenger," Ramonika Carr, guest services division manager at the airport, said in a statement. "With that, we know that airports and air travel can be stressful and at times a daunting experience for individuals, especially those who may have a non-visible disability."
Between the lines: The Austin Chronicle recently reported how misunderstandings turned what was supposed to be a three-hour layover at ABIA for a deaf, 71-year-old Florida resident into an arrest, a weekend in the Travis County Jail, and an arm broken by a jailer.
Zoom out: The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard Program is an internationally recognized program that launched in 2016 in the United Kingdom.
- More than 90 airports throughout North America — including four in Texas — are involved in the program to support a universal approach to identifying and providing services to passengers with non-visible disabilities.
If you need one: Passengers can request a lanyard to be picked up in person at the airport or mailed to them ahead of their trip by contacting the AUS guest services team via email at or by calling them at (512) 530-2414.