Research

Open Doors Organization has led and participated in multiple accessibility-focused research initiatives through the Airports Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), resulting in the following publications:

• ACRP Report 210: Innovative Solutions to Facilitate Accessibility for Air Travelers with Disabilities whichdescribes common barriers to seamless, equitable travel and best practice solutions from pre-trip planning to the airplane door. Appendix A offers case study highlights and photos for 15 U.S. and international airports. (Prime Contractor)
• ACRP Report 177: Enhancing Airport Wayfinding for Aging Travelers and Persons with Disabilities which involved development and testing of a wayfinding app and creation by ODO of the “Wayfinding Accessibility Checklist” tool which will be used during the SLC Self-Evaluation (Subcontractor)
• ACRP Synthesis 101: Communication Strategies for Airport Passenger Access and Mobility that discusses how airports currently meet the information needs of travelers with disabilities both pre-trip and onsite (Subcontractor)
• ACRP Report 239: Assessing Airport Programs for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults which focuses on tools to  evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of programs and services but also best practices. ACRP WebResource 14 summarizes the report content and includes video interviews with subject matter experts (Subcontractor)
• ACRP Report 226: Planning and Design of Airport Restrooms and Ancillary Spaces which includes information on adult changing table rooms, lactation and nursing mothers rooms, sensory rooms, SARAs and other types of amenities (Subcontractor).
• ACRP Synthesis 90: Incorporating ADA and Functional Needs in Emergency Exercises (Panelist).

Current ODO ACRP projects:

• ACRP 07-22: Improving Accessibility and Airport Experience for Neurodivergent Individuals and Individuals with Dementia-Related Conditions

• ACRP 07-23: Safety, Empowerment, and Dignity: Improving the Airport Journey of Customers Using Wheelchairs

• ACRP 10-37: Boarding Passengers with Reduced Mobility onto Commercial Aircraft without Passenger Boarding Bridges

Market Studies

Open Doors Organization has also conducted various markets studies, nationwide, on the spending and travel patterns of American adults with disabilities. More information of these studies can be found on the Market Studies page of our website.