Passengers with Disabilities and Reduced Mobility Awareness Training

Overview

Disability and Reduced Mobility Awareness Training is now mandatory for airline and airport customer service staff in:
- European Community under regulation EC1107
- United States under the Air Carrier Access Act
- Canada under the Canada Transportation Act

This course will provide participants with an awareness of, and appropriate responses to, customers with physical, sensory, mental, and hidden disabilities, as well as those using service animals.

It covers various methods of communication with people with hearing loss, vision loss, speech disabilities and cognitive disabilities.

The importance of the disability market is also emphasized through general population statistics and the Open Doors Organization (ODO) Studies of Adult Travellers with Disabilities.

Objectives

On completion of this module you will be able to:
- Understand the scope and importance of the disability travel market
- Define disability and distinguish between different types of disabilities
- Know basic disability terminology in common use
- Know how to appropriately offer and provide assistance so as to maintain customer safety and dignity
- Speak respectfully to/about people with disabilities using "Person First" terminology and avoiding offending terms
- Use basic techniques for communicating with people who have sensory, speech and cognitive disabilities
- Recognize service animals, understand their various roles and provide appropriate assistance as needed to their handlers 
- Know basic techniques for guiding people who are blind and how to effectively give them directions

Comments

This training module is organised into the following sections:
- The Disability Market
- Defining Disability and Types of Disabilities
- Appropriate Language and Customer Service Tips
- Assessment
- Resources