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Young Clients develop independent airline travel skills in school holiday program

This two-day program was designed to develop skills and techniques for teenagers with low vision or blindness to become more independent with airline travel.

Day One:

Focused on skill development with the young clients taking part in practical activities including:

• A guest speaker giving tips on how to develop knowledge and strategies associated with access rights at airports
• Techniques for planning travel and booking flights and accommodation
• Strategies and equipment for locating luggage at baggage claim
• Strategies for checking-in, negotiating security checks and scans
• Getting to and from the airport using different forms of transport.

Our Orientation & Mobility Specialists introduced the smartphone app, AIRA, to use as a secondary aid to provide instant visual information for users through trained agents who access the smartphone camera through the application.

Day Two:

The second day of the program saw everyone putting their new skills to the test at Sydney Domestic Airport.

They completed practical activities which took them through the entire process of airline travel and negotiating the airport.

O&M Specialists and Qantas staff facilitated an education session discussing check-in procedures and strategies to gain assistance, using the customer service check-in and disclosing vision impairment to the airline, before negotiating the security check and scan.

The group used their skills to find important locations within the terminal including bathrooms, food outlets and the appropriate boarding gate.

When they reached the boarding gate everyone was given the opportunity to board a Qantas Boeing 737, orientate themselves to the layout of the plane, experience the business class and economy seats and overhead luggage.

“I learnt how to better navigate the airport, the AIRA application and other strategies to make me more independent with airline travel,’ said Karlee, a young client who participate on the day.

“This was the best group program I ever attended, I am glad I came to learn and have fun,” another young client, Kaeden said.

If you’re interested in finding out more about future Youth Programs that we offer, please give us a call on:

1800 484 333.