A More Accessible Travel Experience: Improving Airport Facilities

I’ve done quite a bit of advocacy on behalf of those with disabilities, like my son, over the years, both statewide and nationally and primarily with large advocacy organizations for the purpose of legislative change. My favorite experience advocating, however, was on our own, just my son and me, in New Orleans when the city was building a new airport.

Our family loves to travel, but one of the things we have really struggled over the years are family changing areas where we can change our son if needed when we are in airports or other public places. As a young man, it is not possible to change him on a baby changing table and it is disgusting thinking about changing him on a public restroom floor. I had heard of adult changing tables in some progressive locations but had not seen them in any US airports.

So, I did a little digging and reached out to the contractor and architects for the New Orleans airport. I explained the situation, and they were amazed that no one had thought to include adult changing tables in family restrooms. The architect even commented “I am embarrassed, we think more about where the pets need to go than adult travelers with disabilities!”

And with that, she worked with me to design two family restrooms with adult sized changing tables to accommodate those who need the extra space and help. They added one outside of TSA and one centrally located once through TSA. At the time, it was only the third airport in the US to have them.