Customer Service for Travellers with Disabilities

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Implement the critical elements of accessible customer service.
• More confidently support people with various types of disabilities and special needs.
• Better recognize and appropriately respond to barriers faced by travellers with disabilities at their airport.
• Understand how to use respectful language when talking to and about travellers with disabilities, including the use of People First Language.
• Appreciate the important role that disability supports play in maintaining travellers with disabilities’ freedom and independence.

Who Should Enrol?

• Those directly responsible for supporting travellers with disabilities e.g., special assistance agents or managers.
• All those working at an airport who interact with customers as part of their role.
• Airport managers, supervisors, or team leaders responsible for frontline personnel.
• Any airport employee who wants a better understanding of how to support passengers with disabilities.
• Suppliers and service providers with customer facing responsibilities at an airport.
• Anyone interested in a career in passenger facilitation, customer service, or customer experience management.

Course Content

The Customer Service for Travellers with Disabilities course covers the following topics:

1. New Perspectives

• The increasing prevalence of disabilities amongst those engaging in air travel.
• Different ways of viewing disability.
• Characteristics of disabilities (e.g., visible vs hidden).
• Introduction to the CAN and HOW approach – the importance of asking permission to help before jumping in and taking over.

2. Disabilities and Customer Service

• Accessible customer service principles.
• Signs a traveller with a disability needs help.
• How to provide effective and respectful customer service to those with mental, emotional, and neuro-developmental conditions, as well as those with physical and sensory disabilities.

3. Barriers and Language

• The different types of barriers travellers with disabilities face at airports.
• Ways those working at airports can help to remove or overcome these barriers.
• Using respectful language when talking to and about travellers with disabilities, including the use of People First Language.

4. Disability Supports

• Types of disability supports used at airports.
• Tips for assisting customers using mobility aids / devices.
• Honouring the boundaries between a service animal and their handler.
• The vital role a support person plays in assisting travellers with disabilities.

Assessment and Certificate

This course includes an integrated online assessment. Candidates must successfully complete the assessment to receive a Certificate of Completion.