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Accessible Travel: Travelling through Dublin Airport with a disability

At OTNI – Occupational Therapy NI, we support our case management clients with organising holidays and ensuring they have the support they require. We are frequently asked about travelling through the airport with a disability. Margaret recently travelled through Dublin Airport and used the special assistance services as her son has a disability.  This is her account of the experience.

 

My family and I recently travelled to Orlando and had a very positive experience using Dublin Airport’s accessibility services.  We booked special assistance when arranging our flights and selected the supports that best suited our journey. Dublin Airport advises passengers to request assistance at least 48 hours in advance, and the airport offers a range of options including:

  • wheelchair assistance

  • meet-and-assist support

  • help through security and to the gate. 

 

We had the Important Flyer lanyard and wristband issued by Dublin Airport prior to this trip.  These are available from Dublin Airport, and you need to register for one in advance of travelling.  It is a very straightforward process, and after submitting the required documentation, you will receive a lanyard and wristband in the post. Dublin Airport says these identifiers are designed to discreetly signal to staff that a passenger may need extra time, calm, or clearer communication.   Dublin airport also fully recognises the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme. 

 

We were able to pre-register for accessible parking by using a PRM (passenger with reduced mobility) code.  You will need a blue badge to avail of this service as you are required to enter the badge number to obtain the PRM code.  The code enables you to book parking at a reduced rate in any of the airport carparks. There is accessible parking available across all car parks, and the shuttle buses to the terminals are wheelchair accessible with a dedicated section for wheelchairs.  On arrival at the carpark, we parked in an accessible space after showing our blue badge to the parking attendant. 

 

Inside terminal 2, we headed to the special assistance desk, which was conveniently located beside the check-in desks.  They had a record of our arrival, and the staff brought us through check-in. We queued in a separate line that was quieter and more accommodating of our son's sensory needs. Special assistance can include support from arrival through to boarding however, in our case, we did not need further transport because my son remained in his own wheelchair, which we were able to bring right to the gate. 

 

We pre-registered for Fast Track security which is free for passengers with disabilities and up to three travelling companions when prebooked.  When you book, you select a time to enter Fast Track and you can arrive 30 minutes either side of you entry time. On booking, you will receive an email with a QR code and you scan this to gain Fast Track entry. After check-in, we used Fast Track security at our designated time, and the process was very smooth.

 

Our son did not need to get out of the wheelchair during security screening. He was patted down while seated, and the chair was swabbed. The security staff clearly explained to him what they were going to do before they patted him down.

 

There are accessible toilets in Terminal 2, and we also booked the sensory room before U.S. preclearance.  There is a sensory room in both terminals, and they are free to use for up to 60 minutes however they must be reserved in advance. 

 

At U.S. preclearance in Dublin airport, passengers with accessibility requirements queue separately, and the wait was minimal. Once through, there was little left to do except wait for boarding. This area was very busy and overstimulating as there were frequent announcements over the tannoy however our son had his headphones and iPad which helped.


There are also accessible toilets after preclearance. 

 

When boarding commenced, we were invited to board first, and we were able to bring the wheelchair to the aircraft door, where we were told it would be returned to the aircraft door on arrival in Orlando.

 

Overall, our experience of Dublin Airport’s accessibility services was very positive. The key things to remember is that some services need to be prebooked in advance, and once that is done, the process is genuinely helpful for individuals with a disability and their travelling party. 

 

Here are some useful links:

 

 

If you have any questions about accessible travel, please get in touch:

 

·      +44 (0) 7887 698182

 

 
 
 

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