“The best practice right now for airports looking into sensory rooms is to stick their heads out of the rabbit hole and see what everybody else is doing,” said Eric Lipp, executive director of Open Doors Organization, which works extensively with airports and airlines to improve the travel experience for people with disabilities. “It’s so early in the game—what Pittsburgh International Airport is doing is different and they’re a leader in this space.”
Less is more
Under Cassotis’ direction, a group of airport employees, including Rudge???, got to work designing the sensory room. The team visited local sensory rooms at Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Institute, and JW Burkett Elementary School. They talked with employees at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Ireland's Shannon airports, at the time the only two airports in the world with spaces designated for travelers with sensory processing issues.
“This is still very new for airports,” said Logan Williams, PIT’s organizational development manager, who led the sensory room project. “We realized we had an opportunity to innovate and create a model for other airports to follow.”
The team did its homework, asking advocacy groups, interested individualsand caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental challenges to share their experiences and offer suggestions for the sensory room.
“The input we received completely changed how we were thinking about the room,” said Williams.
The airport originally planned a space filled with cool toys and fancy equipment to engage the kids. What they heard from the stakeholders was that less is more—if the room is too stimulating, parents won’t be able to pull their kids away when it’s time to catch the flight. Also, why make it just for kids? Adults with the same needs would benefit from a space to decompress before and after flying.
“What we heard over and over again is that the room needed to be flexibleand have the ability to be customized to meet the various needs of these travelers,” Williams said. “We were determined to do it right.”
For Rudge, the opening of the sensory room is a dream come true. “I’ve never done anything that has impacted so many people,” said Rudge. “I hope that when Presley gets older, he’ll understand that I did this for him and he’ll feel proud.”
Samantha J. Stedford, C.M. is a Senior Analyst in Strategic Initiatives in the Executive Office of the Allegheny County Airport Authority. She was formerly the airport's ADA Coordinator. You can reach Sam at 412-472-3648 or email her at [email protected]