Vision Ireland and The Wayfinding Centre have called on the Irish aviation industry to improve travel for people with disabilities.

Some 12m people are expected to travel through Irish airports in the next three months alone, including 1.1m people in Ireland who have a disability, over half of whom have disabilities that are not visible or apparent to other people.

The 'Towards Inclusive Air Travel - Evaluating and Enhancing Accessibility in the Irish Aviation Industry for People with Disabilities' report highlights significant issues hindering independent and dignified air travel for people with disabilities.

These include challenges with the provision of timely and appropriate assistance, challenges in boarding aircraft and in securing in-flight support, and damage in transit to essential mobility aids and equipment.

The report recommends several focus areas for the aviation sector, including increasing disability awareness and training for aviation sector staff; improving the accessibility of facilities and communications; and seeking greater levels of collaboration with disability groups and advocates.

Vision Ireland and The Wayfinding Centre welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Irish Aviation Authority’s ‘Statement of Strategy for 2026 to 2028’ and amplify the voices of people with disabilities who are calling for improvements to their air travel experience.

They believe that the IAA can take a more proactive role in promoting, enabling, incentivising and enforcing the changes required.

Regarding the sector demonstrating awareness of and empathy for people with disabilities, the bodies said this can be achieved by providing mandatory disability awareness training and refresher training to all airport and airline staff including retail team members.

In addition, providing clear and accessible information and communication before, during and after travel helps people with disabilities to prepare and navigate their journeys with greater ease and independence, reducing stress, they said.

A key point for the aviation sector to note is the implementation in June of the European Accessibility Act (EEA), which will help drive digital accessibility in systems and technology.

Finally, the anxiety that comes with unexpected events or tasks in the travel journey can be removed by applying processes and protocols consistently, ideally across sectors and geographies.

Kevin Kelly, who is head of policy, partnerships and external affairs for Vision Ireland and is blind, said: “If you are flying out this summer, be aware that passengers around you may have a disability, even if you cannot see it.

"Simply being patient and respecting personal space can make a huge difference to someone’s experience.

"If you notice that a person is having difficulty, ask if they would like some help and await their response before taking action.

"Do not feel badly or take offence if the person declines – there is never an issue with offering help respectfully.”

As airports and airlines ready themselves for the busiest time of their year, The Wayfinding Centre’s report underscores the scale of change required to meet the ambition of equal access to air travel for passengers with disabilities.

However, it also shows that there are positive steps that can be taken immediately if the sector is willing.

(Pic: Andres Poveda)