CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Gerald R. Ford International Airport near Grand Rapids says it is the first in Michigan to offer a room designed to help travelers with sensory disorders.
On Wednesday, airport leaders, consultants and disability advocates cut the ribbon on the new sensory room on Concourse A.
“For many people, (getting on a plane) is a new experience or a rare experience, something they don’t often interact with. To have a place where they can calm those anxieties before getting and going through a stressful situation for them, it is truly amazing,” disability advocate Jon Cauchi said.
When travelers are buzzed into the sensory room, they will notice three zones. The first is what’s called the respite zone: It’s where people can calm down and relax before they head to their flight. The second is called the active zone, which essentially prepares travelers’ senses of sight and touch for air travel.
The third is the airplane simulation zone. There, people are familiarized with the boarding process, from the first part of hearing the beep when scanning their boarding pass to getting into the jet bridge and boarding the aircraft. The simulation area has working overhead bins and seat belts so travelers know exactly what to expect.
“Anxiety does tend to build when people start to show up at the airport. For some people, they’re much more sensitive to their surroundings. So this sensory room is going to give them an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of the traditional airport setting. (It) still gives them the airport setting, but in a more controlled environment,” Ford Airport Authority President and CEO Tory Richardson explained.
He said the program is about going beyond the basic requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“How do we make this really ultra accessible and something our guests are going to have a very comfortable, pleasant, positive experience with?” he said.
Jon Cauchi, an inclusion consultant and trainer at Disability Advocates of Kent County, said that as someone with a neurodivergence, he would “utilize this space in a heartbeat.”
The agency says about 1 in 4 people have some sort of disability and the sensory room offers options to accommodate a variety of needs.
“Ensuring that there’s low-light areas as well as brighter-light areas, that the areas are customizable, so it can really meet people where they’re at and help people eliminate the barriers that they need to eliminate,” Cauchi said.
The room is available all the time and is free to use.