Without barriers: how aviation makes flights accessible to people with ASD
According to statistics, an airplane is considered one of the safest modes of transport. Among its advantages are high speed, which saves time, which is especially important for long distances, and a wide range of destinations, making even remote corners of the world accessible. Air travel is famous for its comfort: comfortable chairs, entertainment and meals make the journey pleasant and unobtrusive. However, this type of transport is not available to everyone. There are people for whom traveling by plane becomes a real challenge. This is especially true for people with autism spectrum disorder. How to organize an inclusive environment on board — in the Izvestia article.
A cherished dream
According to the Ministry of Health, 1.3 million people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) live in Russia. And 98% of them, according to the International Council for Certification and Standards of Continuing Education, would like to be able to travel by plane. However, they cannot do this due to the lack of a barrier-free environment on board.
The airport is a chaotic and unobvious environment for autistic people and their loved ones, says Evgenia Petelchuk, Director of Development at the Anton Foundation.
"Loud announcements, large numbers of people, bright screens, and new social situations can lead to sensory overload and increased anxiety," she points out.
At the same time, it is not pity that is important for people with ASD, but an accessible environment and support, the Izvestia interlocutor notes. The main tools for organizing a comfortable space are respect and accessibility of information about autism spectrum disorder.
A place to rest, silence, headphones, clear instructions and visual support can help autistic passengers during the flight, Petelchuk lists.
"The development of inclusion services will help autistic people and their loved ones travel more, and airlines and society as a whole to be more open to people with mental disabilities," she is convinced.
Some airlines and airports have already prepared special tips for passengers with autism, taking into account the difficulties they will face. Such recommendations, in particular, have already been developed at Pulkovo Airport. People with ASD are encouraged to take care of their own comfort, taking into account the difficulties they will have to face during the flight.
The airport recommends that passengers with autism take with them personal items that will help fight anxiety (a soft toy, a blanket, a pillow and other items that will help them feel better), homemade food (if there are eating habits), as well as earplugs or noise-canceling headphones that will help to cope with background noise.
However, until recently, there were no programs involving the creation of special conditions for special passengers by the airlines themselves in Russia. Smartavia has launched the first inclusive environment in Russia for a comfortable flight for people with autism. The work on its creation was carried out jointly with experts from the Anton charity Foundation. This is the second such program in the world, a similar service is provided by Emirates airline.
Autism, according to WHO statistics, occurs in every hundredth person in the world. The creation of services for comfortable flights for autistic children and adults is a big step towards creating a barrier—free space, Elena Filbert, director of the Anton Tut Near Foundation, is convinced.
"It's not just about an accessible environment for people with ASD: in practice, we see that programs to support people with mental disabilities make infrastructure more convenient and friendly for everyone," she emphasizes.
Affordable travel
A study conducted by experts from the Anton Foundation in collaboration with Smartavia Airlines revealed the main problems faced by autistic people when traveling by air. For this purpose, more than 470 people with ASD were interviewed. Among the factors that cause severe anxiety during flights, first of all, sensory difficulties can be distinguished. 37% of the respondents voted for them. The list also includes the need to stay in a confined space (28%) and increased noise in an airplane (26%). Completing the list of problems is the communication that has to be conducted during boarding and on board. 20% of the respondents voted for this item.
These data allowed experts from the Anton Foundation to develop regulations for flight attendants and ground staff that can facilitate flights for people with ASD. It includes information on how to correctly read the non-verbal signals of an autistic person during boarding and flight, tips on how to build friendly or comfortable communication with such a passenger, and ways to help him overcome sensory overload and cope with anxiety.
Previously, the staff had a lot of questions related to helping people with ASD on the plane, says Smartavia flight attendant Alexandra Ershova. It was important to understand how to communicate with such passengers in an environmentally friendly way and help them reduce anxiety and discomfort during the flight, because autistic people are prone to sensitivity, including when they enter new spaces, encounter unusual noises and surroundings.
"As crew members, it is important for us to prevent stressful situations for people with autism spectrum disorders, to support them, and to tell them about all the scenarios and opportunities available on board to reduce emotional stress," the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
And among these opportunities, there are practical ways to help people with ASD survive an airfare. To reduce sensory overload, which autistic people call the main cause of discomfort on board, the autistic artists of the Anton Foundation have developed a special anti-stress pillow "Hugging" in the form of a cat, which must be held close to themselves. It was created from recycled uniforms of flight attendants and pilots of the airline Smartavia.
— Cats are warm. I love cats. That's why I drew it," Alexey Kitaytsev, an artist and foundation trustee, explained the creation of the sketch.
Not only RACES
It is important to understand that it is not only passengers with autism spectrum disorder who experience anxiety on an airplane. According to the data of the National Research Medical Center of Psychiatry and Narcology named after the Serbian Ministry of Health of Russia, relevant for 2024, about 4 million people in Russia suffer from mental illnesses. Of these, two thirds are related to depression and anxiety disorders.
However, not only people with psychoemotional disorders, but also other passengers face worries and overloads on board airplanes. For example, those who have aerophobia. According to VTsIOM, 23% of Russians are afraid to fly. Of these, 8% refuse to fly due to severe anxiety.
Advanced training of flight attendants can make the flight easier for them. In the future, the introduction of an inclusive environment for anxious people on board airplanes could increase the number of passengers making at least one flight per year to 5.7 million people.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
