Making Holiday Travel Accessible for All

Travel can be difficult in normal times, and the holiday season makes airports even more crowded and hectic than usual. For passengers with sensory sensitivities and disabilities, the journey can be quite daunting.

Pittsburgh International Airport offers these travelers a variety of services to help them make their way, from quiet places to reduce stress to staff support for those who need a little more help and special apps for those with specific disabilities.

“Accessibility is a top priority for PIT because we want all passengers, all people, to be able to travel,” said Samantha Stedford, Director, Experience and Design. “We’re striving to be the most accessible airport in the world.”

For travelers with sensory sensitivities, PIT opened Presley’s Place in 2019, becoming one of the first airports in the world to have a dedicated space for these passengers. Since then, it has set a new global standard and inspired facilities worldwide to open sensory rooms of their own.

“Presley’s Place is intended for travelers with sensory sensitivities, such as autism, who need a calming place to decompress and reset during this busy holiday season,” Stedford said. “Airports can be stressful at the best of times, but during the holidays, they can be especially hectic.”

Thinking of all passengers

The space came to life thanks to one of PIT’s own employees, Jason Rudge. As the father of a child with autism, Rudge suggested the airport develop a space for passengers with autism to unwind. CEO Christina Cassotis got to work right away.

The airport worked with the nonprofit Autism Connection to help design the space. The group surveyed people with autism prior to the design process to help ensure it had the features they wanted in a sensory-friendly space.

Fast Company magazine this year named Presley’s Place a finalist in its Innovation by Design Awards, an honor given to organizations that solve problems with