LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– For first-time flyers, the airport can be a place of great mystery and anxiety, those factors are multiplied for people with autism and their families.
The loudspeaker announcements, fast-paced moving, and unexpected requirements through security are all obstacles that could be triggering for a person with Autism. That is why the Arc of Kentucky is offering an event that’s a first for Blue Grass Airport to help ease those fears ahead of a real trip.
The run-through flight practice is the second in Kentucky.
“It alleviates the stress for our families and individuals, plus it trains the airport security and airport personnel,” said Sherri Brothers, the Executive Director of the Arc of Kentucky.
The experience starts when they walk through the door and go up to the ticket counter to check in for their flight, Then they move through security and working with TSA.
“Some of them are non-verbal, so they have to think about, you know, do I need a communication device, sign language, do they need an interpreter?” Brothers said.
Then they board the place, visit the cockpit and find their seats.
“They get to see the lights, they get to pull them down, the fans, they get to turn them off and on. They get to go to the bathroom,” said Brothers.
All of this eases the anxieties or past traumas and shows families and people with Autism that travel is an option.
The event, Wings For All, will be at Blue Grass Airport is November 3.
They are still taking wait-list reservations and an additional event is being planned for the spring in Louisville.
Click here for more information.
