Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs (2019)

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B-1 A P P E N D I X B Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet The purpose of the accessibility walkthrough is to identify the current emergency communication capabilities of the airport and identify opportunities to make emergency messaging more accessible to people with DAFN. This worksheet can be used as a guide to conduct the assessment and record observations. This tool was developed in accordance with ADA requirements and recommendations as described in the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA Requirements: Effective Communication bulletin. The assessment should be conducted by the airport’s DAFN advisory group, ADA coordinator, and/or emergency management staff. The walkthrough can be conducted in the following areas of the airport: curbside, ticketing, security, concourse, terminal, gate, baggage claim, and staff office areas. One copy of the worksheet will be required for each location. At each location, one member of the assessment team should be responsible for filling out the worksheet and recording the group’s answers to each question in the worksheet. Based on the group’s observations, an accessibility rating should be assigned to each communication mode or resource. The accessibility rating should indicate how well each mode or resource meets the needs of people with DAFN based on its current condition, location, and use. The group should take into account whether the current technique and/or system is simple, intuitive, and appropriate in terms of size and space. Modes of communication that receive a low accessibility rating should be evaluated to identify potential improvements that will increase accessibility. Modes of communication that the group identifies as helpful to people with DAFN and that are not currently present in certain locations should be evaluated with regard to the feasibility of obtaining or implementing them. Accessibility ratings can be assigned on a scale of one to four, as follows: 1 = Significant barrier(s) to access or understanding for people with DAFN 2 = Potential barrier(s) to access and/or understanding for people with DAFN 3 = Accessible and/or understood by most people with DAFN 4 = Universally accessible to all individuals

Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet Section 1: Visual Assessment Location: _________________________________ Date: __________________ Visual Assessment Signage Monitors/ Displays Electronic Notice Boards Visual Paging System Mobile Applications (specify) Video Remote Interpreting Captioned Phones Other: Is this mode available at this location? Is this mode used for emergency communications? If no, can this mode be used for emergency communications? Are messages provided in languages other than English? If no, can messages be provided in languages other than English? Are messages provided in ASL? If no, can messages be provided in ASL? Are messages conveyed through graphics or icons? If no, can messages use graphics or icons? Does this mode support display of messages via video? If no, can messages be displayed via video? Are there physical barriers that obstruct the line of sight? If yes, would the movement/adjustment of this mode improve lines of sight? Is this mode used to disseminate pre-scripted messages? If no, can pre-scripted messages be used? ACCESSIBILITY RATING (1, 2, 3, or 4) Notes:

Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet Section 2: Audio Assessment Location: ________________________________ Date: _________________ Audio Assessment Public Address System Direct-Line Telephones Over-the- Phone Translation Services Induction Loop Alarms Megaphone Other: Is this mode available at this location? Is this mode used for emergency communications? If no, can this mode be used for emergency communications? Are messages provided in languages other than English? If no, can messages be provided in languages other than English? Is this mode used to disseminate pre-recorded messages? If no, can pre-recorded messages be used? ACCESSIBILITY RATING (1, 2, 3, or 4) Notes

Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet Section 3: Human-to-Human Assessment Location: ______________________________ Date: __________________ Human-to-Human Assessment Information Desk Personnel Volunteer Customer Assistance Wheelchair Service Provider ASL Interpreter Foreign Language Translator Other: Is this resource available at this location? Does this person have a unique identifier (e.g., ID badge, colored vest/hats) for easy identification? If no, would distinguishing this person help? Does this person disseminate information in the event of an emergency? If yes, is this person trained on communications protocols and messaging? If yes, is this person trained on assisting people with DAFN? If no, could this person disseminate information in the event of an emergency? Are members of this group identified as having non-English language capabilities? If yes, does this person have a unique identifier (e.g., button/sticker) for easy identification? Are passengers notified that these individuals are available to assist (e.g., via website, signage, etc.)? Is there signage offering their services in this location? Do these individuals assist with wayfinding? Are they trained on tools and strategies to assist people with DAFN with wayfinding? Are there individuals in this group that represent people with DAFN? Would it be helpful to include representatives of people with DAFN at this location? ACCESSIBILITY RATING (1, 2, 3, or 4)

Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet Section 3: Human-to-Human Assessment (Continued) Human-to-Human Assessment Information Desk Personnel Volunteer Customer Assistance Wheelchair Service Provider ASL Interpreter Foreign Language Translator Other: Notes:

B-6 Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs Identify Gaps The information gathered from the accessibility walkthrough can be used to identify gaps where the airport can improve current techniques or provide additional services. To that end, following the walkthrough, the group leader can facilitate a “debriefing” by posing the following additional questions to the group: • In your opinion, what are the most significant barriers to providing emergency information to people with DAFN at this airport? • What have you experienced at other airports that may be helpful for this airport in terms of different services and communication strategies to assist people with DAFN? • As travelers, what additional experiences have you or your organization identified as challenges for people with DAFN? The results of the walkthrough and the information gathered in the debriefing can be used to determine the most significant gaps to address in developing an effective, accessible emergency communications strategy. The group leader should prepare a list of key gaps to distribute for validation by the DAFN advisory group. Once the list has been validated, the DAFN advisory group can prioritize the issues and identify appropriate solutions. Technique Evaluation Once the DAFN advisory group has identified key gaps that need to be filled, the next step is to identify which potential strategies can fill those gaps to improve airport communication capabilities. The ADA coordinators and emergency management staff should identify the strategies that address the needs identified by the DAFN advisory group. Evaluating strategic solutions will depend on multiple factors—mainly resources, including time, staff, and funding. It is suggested that ADA coordinators and emergency management staff gain an understanding of the resources that are available—and required—to implement these solutions. Appendix D presents a general range of resource requirements. It is important to note that resource requirements for these techniques may depend on the unique factors of each airport, including airport size, existing systems and equipment, existing staffing and staff capabilities, and other factors. Once the ADA coordinator and emergency management staff have identified realistic potential solutions, they should circulate the proposal to members of the DAFN advisory group for feedback and verification. It may be useful to provide group members with information on the strategies detailed in Appendix D so they can see a variety of techniques in addition to the ones identified as promising. With the consensus of the DAFN advisory group, the ADA coordinator and emergency management staff will need to outline an implementation plan. The following worksheet can be useful in documenting the process steps for implementing new or enhanced strategies for accessible communications.

Preparing an Implementation Plan This worksheet can be used by the ADA coordinator and emergency management staff to document the process steps for implementing new or enhanced strategies for accessible communications. Strategy Gap Addressed/Population Served Steps for Implementation Responsible Party Timeline Estimated Cost Funding Source Priority Sample Mobile Translation Applications Lack of translation tools in international terminal Place bookmark to Google TranslateTM on home screen of all volunteer tablets Include use of online translation in Volunteer Orientation presentation Include use of online translation tools in Volunteer Orientation packet Guest Services 2 weeks N/A N/A N/A• • •