On Sept. 26, Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International (CVG) and San Francisco International (SFO) will host events to support people with autism and their families.
CVG will present its fourth annual Starting Our Adventure Right event in partnership with Delta Air Lines, the Transportation Security Administration, the Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati.
“We strive to accommodate our passengers at CVG,” says Candace McGraw, CEO of the airport. “This is a great opportunity for families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to experience CVG. We want our passengers to feel safe and comfortable when flying. We are proud to partner with Delta Air Lines, the Kelly O’Leary Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati and TSA.”
SOAR is designed to familiarize those on the autism spectrum with the airport and increase understanding of the autism spectrum by airport professionals. People with autism and up to three family members can receive guided tours and overviews of airport processes, including check-in, security, departure gate, aircraft on-boarding and baggage claim.
“We want to thank all of our SOAR partners,” says Jennifer Smith, psychologist at the Kelly O’Leary Center at Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “The families and children that we work with at the Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders are greatly appreciative of the program. Due to SOAR, some families can now fly to experience a family vacation.”
The event will be from 1-4 p.m. Participants must register at cvgairport.com/soar.
Also on Saturday, SFO will put on Ready Set Fly. Developed in partnership with The Arc San Francisco, the event will allow participants to practice ticketing, security and boarding of an Airbus A-321 aircraft provided by JetBlue Airways.
“We are proud to partner with The Arc San Francisco and JetBlue to bring this educational program to SFO,” says John L. Martin, airport director at SFO. “Our goal is to provide an exceptional airport, in service to our communities, and we continue to develop programs to achieve this vision, including in-house disability awareness training and a prototype mobile application to help visually impaired guests navigate the airport independently. The Ready Set Fly program is further evidence of our commitment to make the airport experience easier and more accessible for all travelers.”
The airport expects more than 100 people to attend. The first part of the event will include a workshop during which participants will learn tips for traveling with disabilities. After the workshop, participants will go through the ticketing and security processes before boarding the aircraft; to make the experience as genuine as possible, once on board, “travelers” will buckle their seatbelts and hear and feel what it sounds like when the plane’s engines are running, though the flight won’t leave the ground.
Ready Set Fly will start at 12 p.m.
