National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: Front Matter
Page 1
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25507.
×
Page 1
Page 2
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25507.
×
Page 2
Page 3
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 1 - Introduction." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25507.
×
Page 3

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

1 In an emergency, accurate and effective communication can save lives. In August 2016, two separate active-shooter situations were reported at two major international airports—first at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and later at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Both incidents were deemed false reports, but they caused mass chaos, delayed opera- tions, and diverted hundreds of aircraft. Less than 6 months later, a mass shooting at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) left five people dead and six others wounded. More than 30 people sustained injuries from the panic caused by the shooting. During an emergency, communication challenges often are compounded by chaos and panic. People with disabilities and others with access and functional needs (people with DAFN), including people with limited English proficiency (LEP), may require assistance with day- to-day travel communications in a busy and bustling airport setting. For these individuals, additional consideration and accommodations may be required to communicate lifesaving, time-sensitive emergency information. In critical emergencies, it is vital that airports be equipped and prepared to disseminate information quickly through multiple means to reach as many people as possible with accurate and actionable emergency instructions. For simplicity, this guidebook uses the phrase people with DAFN to include people with disabilities or access and functional needs and people with LEP. To avoid confusion, the phrase “limited English proficiency” appears in content that addresses the communications needs of this specific community, and use of the abbreviation LEP has been reserved for model documentation. An airport is a unique environment because most of the people in an airport at any given time are only passing through, and, in most cases, doing so very quickly. Because of the transient nature of an airport, training travelers on safety procedures for a facility they will likely occupy for a few hours at the most is nearly impossible. Moreover, because travelers come from various backgrounds and cultures, communication can be complicated by language barriers and mis- interpretation. Therefore, airports must have communications processes, procedures, messag- ing, and tools that can reach all populations, including individuals who may need assistance or accommodation in receiving, understanding, or acting on emergency information. The guidance, recommendations, and resources included in this guidebook are based on extensive research, in-person interviews with industry professionals, round-table discussions with representatives of the DAFN community and subject matter experts (SMEs), and airport case studies. Guidebook Objectives The objectives of this guidebook are (1) to help identify the emergency communication needs of people with DAFN, and (2) to identify strategies for airports to accommodate those needs. This guide focuses on communications strategies for people with DAFN and does C H A P T E R 1 Introduction

2 Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs not cover all aspects of an airport’s crisis communications plan. The guide profiles real-world examples of communication strategies that include people with DAFN and that come from airports across the country. The guide also uses best practices as the basis for checklists, templates, and supplemental emergency planning resources, which are appended to the guide. As airport and emergency management staff work through this document, they are encour- aged to consider using the accessible emergency warning strategies discussed in this document for everyday operations, not only for emergency communications. Investing in the autonomy and independence of people who visit airports will pay huge dividends when it comes to cus- tomer satisfaction, thereby contributing to increased passenger numbers. Intended Audience This guide is intended to help airport staff assess and improve airport services for people with DAFN. The strategies presented in this document are applicable to airports of all sizes and in all locations. The following airport staff may find this guidebook helpful: • Emergency managers can customize the concept of operations (CONOPS) template (presented in Appendix F) and the exercise toolkit (presented in Appendix I) to develop and test the emergency communications processes. • ADA coordinators can use the self-assessment checklists and convene a community-based DAFN advisory group to identify areas for improvement. • Human Resources (HR) staff can use interactive staff training materials and printable outreach materials to promote awareness of people with DAFN among employees and volunteers. • Public information officers can review the strategies recommended for public outreach to ensure that people with DAFN are considered in crisis communication planning. Guidebook Overview and Contents This guidebook focuses on an actionable three-step process that airport staff can use to build a comprehensive emergency communications strategy that accommodates the needs of people with DAFN (see Figure 1). Checklists, templates, and other tools supplement each step and facilitate the process. Figure 1. Three steps for integrating accessibility into airport emergency communications programs.

Introduction 3 The guidebook includes the following sections: • Chapter 2: Understanding Airport Accessibility. This chapter outlines the overarching concepts behind airport emergency communications planning for people with DAFN, including regulatory considerations, terminology best practices, and developing a plan- ning team. • Chapter 3: Identifying the Emergency Communications Needs of People with DAFN. This chapter provides resources to conduct an inventory of existing accessibility plans, programs, and services currently used in the airport and ways to identify areas for improvement. • Chapter 4: Developing Emergency Communications Strategies That Include People with DAFN. This chapter provides brief descriptions of core, enhanced, and emerging solutions for accessible emergency communications that were identified through research, through interviews with industry representatives, and through consultation with members of various DAFN advocacy groups. • Chapter 5: Incorporating the Strategies into an Emergency Preparedness Program. This chapter focuses on how the airport can apply accessibility techniques to enhance emergency plans, exercises, and training. This chapter is supplemented by a CONOPS emergency communications plan template (Appendix F) and an exercise toolkit (Appendix I), which incorporate accessibility techniques and associated training materials. • Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations. This chapter summarizes key findings and outlines final recommendations for improving emergency communications strategies based on this research. • Appendices. The following appendices to this guidebook provide tools such as checklists and templates, which can be used to enhance airport emergency communications programs: – Appendix A: Inventory Checklists – Appendix B: Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet – Appendix C: FAA Airport Accessibility Checklist – Appendix D: Accessibility Strategy Quick Reference Guide – Appendix E: Potential Solutions – Appendix F: Emergency Communications CONOPS Template – Appendix G: Training Program Resources – Appendix H: Sample Staff Training Flyer and Brochure – Appendix I: Exercise Toolkit – Appendix J: Emergency Preparedness Scenario Vignettes – Appendix K: Example Full-Scale Exercise Notes – Appendix L: Sample Mass Notification System Requirements – Appendix M: Signage and Symbols

Next: Chapter 2 - Understanding Airport Accessibility »
Airport Emergency Communications for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Report 201 provides guidance and tools for airports to aid in effective communication with passengers and persons with disabilities, including those with cultural and language differences.

The report includes a primer that discusses issues, techniques, and the unique requirements and challenges of communicating with people with disabilities and others who have access or functional needs.

The report explores uses of technology and other methods that incorporate ADA considerations and communication challenges with airport stakeholders, and training programs for airport personnel, including templates for development of curricula.

There are case study examples of methods of emergency communication at airports and in other industries, and for universal messaging for emergency communications.

The project that produced the report also produced templates in support of airport emergency plans specifically addressing individuals with limited English proficiency, step-by-step tools that include a needs assessment tool that airports can use to determine what steps must to be taken to comply with ADA requirements concerning communications, and templates/worksheets/checklists for planning tabletop exercises that focus on communicating with people with disabilities and access or functional needs during emergency events. These resources are described and linked to below.

  • The Inventory Checklists (from Appendix A) list plans, reports, documents, programs, and services that are helpful in emergency communications for DAFN. The checklists make it easy to review what the airport has in place, what needs to be developed or updated, etc.
  • The Accessibility Walkthrough Worksheet (from Appendix B) is a tool to structure evaluations (ideally conducted by members of a DAFN Advisory Group, as discussed in the report) that identify and assign accessibility ratings to existing communications modes and resources from curbside through baggage claim, and identify modes or resources that can be added or improved.
  • The FAA Airport Accessibility Checklist (from Appendix C) is reproduced online in PDF for convenience; a url is provided that directs users to the FAA source.
  • The Accessibility Strategy Quick Reference Guide (from Appendix D) summarizes key aspects of core, enhanced, and emerging strategies described in the report.
  • The CONOPS Template (from Appendix F) provides generic text for an Emergency Communications Concept of Operations document that airports can edit to meet their needs and those of the communities they serve.
  • The Disability Equity Training document provides training content, including empathy exercises, from Appendix G in a format that can be adapted and customized for use by practitioners.
  • The 1-Minute Read Poster (from Appendix H) provides a reproducible, one-page reference on how to offer and provide assistance respectfully to people with DAFN.
  • The Outreach Brochure (also from Appendix H) is provided in a separate downloadable file for use and distribution by practitioners.
  • The Exercise Toolkit (from Appendix I), with checklists and materials to support a discussion-based exercise and a full-scale, operational exercise, is reproduced in Word to facilitate adaptation and use by practitioners.
  • The Prepared Scenario Vignettes (from Appendix J), which can be used to lay the foundation of a discussion-based or tabletop exercise.
  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!