Academic Journal Article (Autism, Airport Accessibility and Participatory Design).

After developing a broader understanding of accessible tourism, I wanted to examine a more specific stage of international travel. Airports appeared particularly relevant because they combine sensory stimulation, security procedures, crowds, queues, unfamiliar layouts and strict time pressures.
I chose this paper because it provides a recent and autism-specific examination of airport accessibility. The research analysed environmental assessments completed across six Australian airports between 2017 and 2024. Each airport walkthrough involved two consultants, with at least one Autistic consultant participating in every assessment. The reports were then examined using reflexive thematic analysis.
Unlike research that asks non-autistic professionals to speculate about accessibility, this study positioned Autistic consultants as active evaluators of the airport environment. This was particularly relevant to my project because it demonstrates how lived experience can reveal barriers that may not be obvious to designers, airport staff or other travellers.

Initial Reflections

One of my initial reflections was that the paper does not treat the airport as a neutral setting through which passengers move. Instead, it presents the airport as an active part of the travel experience. Lighting, sound, smells, crowds, signage, security instructions and queuing systems can all influence whether an Autistic traveller feels able to navigate the environment.

The researchers identified two overarching themes:

• navigating the sensory landscape
• helping passengers navigate with confidence

This distinction was useful because it showed that accessibility is not solely about reducing sensory stimulation. It also involves providing enough information, structure, and predictability so that someone understands what is happening and what they are expected to do.

Emerging Themes

Theme 1: Airports are sensory environments.

The assessments identified visual, auditory and olfactory features that could either support or restrict Autistic travellers.

Potential barriers included:

• reflective surfaces and glare
• harsh or flickering lighting
• sudden announcements and operational noise
• hand dryers and other unpredictable sounds
• strong perfumes in duty-free areas
• chemical smells in toilets
• busy and visually crowded spaces

Supportive features included acoustic materials, natural or indirect lighting, muted surfaces and dedicated quiet spaces where passengers could regulate or recover. This has helped me understand that sensory accessibility is not achieved through a single sensory room or an isolated adjustment. The entire journey through the airport contains different sensory transitions, each of which may affect the traveller differently.

Theme 2: Confidence depends on information and predictability.

The second major theme concerned the relationship between communication and confidence.

Accessible pre-travel information, visual instructions, consistent signage and clearly structured queues helped passengers anticipate what would happen. Examples included accessibility guides, visual explanations of security procedures, signs showing walking or waiting times and icons presented alongside written information.

This suggests that uncertainty is not simply an internal characteristic that the Autistic traveller must learn to manage. It can be increased by incomplete information, inconsistent instructions and poorly communicated processes.

The paper, therefore, connects strongly with the social model of disability. The environment and the information system can create a barrier, rather than the barrier existing entirely within the individual.

Theme 3: Accessible design can reduce dependence on verbal communication.

One finding that felt particularly relevant to graphic design was the value of visual communication as an alternative to asking staff for help.

The paper describes how clear visual instructions could allow passengers to complete processes independently without needing to ask questions, risk misunderstanding instructions, or explain their needs while already feeling overwhelmed. Detailed pre-travel information could also reduce reliance on verbal communication after arriving at the airport.

This has introduced a possible connection with Ben’s suggestion to investigate experience and expression.

The issue may not only be that an Autistic person experiences distress. They may also need to recognise the cause, explain it to another person and request the correct support while navigating a pressured environment.

This is my own emerging interpretation rather than a direct conclusion made by the authors. However, it may become important when I analyse my primary research.

Connections to My Project

This paper has strengthened my understanding of how graphic design could operate within a larger accessibility system. Possible areas of relevance include:

• pre-travel preparation
• accessible journey information
• visual explanations of unfamiliar procedures
• clearer wayfinding
• communication between travellers and support networks
• methods for expressing sensory or emotional needs
• resources for carers, companions or airport staff

The paper does not provide evidence that one universal design solution could remove airport barriers. Instead, it suggests that accessibility depends on sensory design, information, staff awareness, airport processes and traveller preparation working together.

Key Terminology

• Autistic-led Research – Research in which Autistic people hold meaningful roles in shaping, conducting or interpreting the work.
• Environmental Assessment – A structured evaluation of how features within an environment support or restrict the people using it.
• Sensory Accessibility – The consideration of how lighting, sound, smell, touch and visual information affect access and participation.
• Participatory Design – A design process that actively involves the people affected by the outcome.

Emerging Questions

• Do unclear information and unpredictable processes intensify sensory overwhelm?
• Could visual communication help travellers describe an experience before it becomes overwhelming?
• Would the most useful audience be the person or company providing the support?
• How might graphic design reduce the need to communicate verbally during pressured moments?