"Travelling is very exciting, but if you have a disability, it can also be quite stressful,” says Peter Waalboer, a representative of Schiphol’s Persons with Reduced Mobility soundboard group. Born with a visual impairment and fully blind since 2011, Waalboer has firsthand experience with the challenges faced by passengers with disabilities. He welcomes the introduction of the EEA and shares his thoughts on the implementation process.
“Navigating airports with a visual impairment requires meticulous pre-planning and consideration of potential scenarios where things might go wrong”, says Peter Waalboer. Despite the best-laid plans, unforeseen situations can always arise and can lead to distressing experiences.
Waalboer recounts a particular incident at a Spanish airport where the promised assistance did not show up, leaving him and his wife, who is also blind, stranded. Forced to rely on his cane and intuition, Waalboer navigated the airport until he stumbled upon the correct gate. However, the discomfort of boarding the plane last, with all passengers already seated and waiting for him to get on the plane, was an experience he would rather not have gone through.
He therefore emphasises the importance of predictability and control when travelling. Although he routinely utilises available assistance services, the autonomy to manage your own journey is very important. His experience of not being picked up highlighted the need for a fail-safe mechanism, like a universally accessible call-to-action button or application, allowing stranded travellers to alert airport staff. Waalboer advocates for the standardisation of such services across Europe to eliminate the need to adjust to different systems and interfaces with each journey.
The design of accessible systems, Waalboer believes, should prioritise simplicity and clarity. For individuals relying on audio interfaces to navigate websites, a cluttered digital environment can be overwhelming as text to speech devices relay every detail on the page. However, Waalboer remains realistic about the concept of universal accessibility and acknowledges that what aids one individual might hinder another. The trend of reducing airport announcements, for instance, benefits people who are easily overwhelmed by noise, but poses significant challenges for the blind who rely on auditory information.
Waalboer says there probably isn't a single solution that works for all; “it is a balancing act, it is about finding a middle ground and constantly working to meet the different needs of all travellers.”
