iPADIS Unveils Model Policy to Enhance Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Air Travel
The International Partners for Aviation Development, Innovation and Sustainability (iPADIS) has launched a groundbreaking Model Policy and Guidance on Accessibility (MPGA).
This initiative is part of iPADIS’ commitment to promoting inclusion and ensuring that disabled passengers have the same access to air travel opportunities as any other passenger.
In a statement, the Organisation stated that the newly unveiled MPGA aims to assist governments, aviation stakeholders, and operators in optimising their regulations and services to meet the specific needs of the disabled community.
It seeks to address the myriad challenges that persons with disabilities encounter in air travel, including poor culture of inclusion and insufficient awareness in many regions.
Major barriers to mobility highlighted by iPADIS include the lack of accessible infrastructure and the absence of harmonised accessibility regulations and procedures.
The MPGA, while non-prescriptive, provides a performance-based framework that incorporates international treaties, industry best practices, and the perspectives of the disabled community.
It is designed to be practical and adaptable to varying operational contexts, offering a user-friendly guide for states and aviation operators to meet, and ideally surpass, minimum service level targets.
This model policy complements the iPADIS Accessibility Evaluation and Promotion for Air Travel and Tourism (ACCEPT) Programme, which helps government bodies and air travel organisations assess their accessibility policies and practices against global standards.
It also provides actionable guidance on overcoming policy, regulatory, and operational challenges in providing seamless services across the entire travel journey, from the initial booking to final destination.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, Founding President of iPADIS, highlighted the importance of accessibility as a cornerstone of the aviation industry’s sustainability.
“iPADIS strongly believes that the aviation industry’s long-term sustainability and continued acceptability depend on the sector being sensitive to its social responsibility and responsive to the needs of all users.
“We are pleased to support the development of enabling policies and harmonised regulations to ensure that all persons with disabilities, including a rapidly aging population, have access to the same opportunities for travel as any other passenger, anywhere in the world,” Dr. Aliu stated.
The iPADIS MPGA is a major step forward in promoting equitable access to air travel, aligning with global efforts to improve services for disabled passengers and enhance inclusivity in the aviation sector.
iPADIS is an independent, international non-governmental organization (NGO) of public and private partnerships.
It operates on a not-for-profit basis to lead effective advocacy for positive change in the global aviation industry, actively promoting the development of international civil aviation in an innovative, sustainable and socially responsible manner.
