Toledo Airport first U.S. airport to earn autism center designation
TOLEDO — The Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport is the first airport in the country to receive the Certified Autism Center designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
IBCCES created AutismTravel.com, a free online resource for families that lists certified destinations and resources for families. Each destination listed on the site has met the Certified Autism Center requirements. No Monroe County locations are on the list.
“The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards grants this credential to organizations that prove their ongoing commitment to creating an environment that welcomes, includes and accommodates autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals,” the airport said in a news release. “To become a CAC, the airport team completed a comprehensive training and certification process to ensure they are equipped with the skills, resources and understanding of the best practices for accommodating autistic and sensory-sensitive travelers and their families.”
“We are proud to be the first airport in the country to receive a Certified Autism Center designation for Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport, which is part of Destination Toledo’s vision of making Toledo a Certified Autism Destination,” said Tim O’Donnell, airport director for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “The airport is an important asset in our region that should be equally accessible to every member of our community. Our already established AccessTOL program continues to provide an interactive, hands-on experience to future passengers to familiarize and introduce them to the airport in a way that aims to help them feel more comfortable and empowered to travel, and this designation will only improve that program.”
Toledo Express hosts multiple AccessTOL Airport Experience events throughout the year to provide those who might need additional support or assistance with the experience of traveling through an airport and identifying potential challenges they may encounter. At the event, individuals learn how to visit the ticket counter to receive a boarding pass, get screened through TSA, check-in at the gate, walk through the jet bridge and retrieve a bag at baggage claim. TOL’s website includes a website ADA compliance subscription, called AccessiBe, which offers website features, such as seizure safe, vision impaired, ADHD friendly and screen readers.
Other Toledo organizations that have completed the CAC program include Destination Toledo, Valentine Theatre, Sylvania Chamber, Avenues for Autism, Boyds Retro Candy, Wingate by Wyndham Sylvania/Toledo, Toledo Speedway BMX and Toledo Museum of Art. Other organizations in the area are in the process of completion.
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IBCCES has been the leader in cognitive disorder training and certification for healthcare, education, and corporate professionals around the globe for more than 20 years. IBCCES is the only global credentialing board providing travel and entertainment organizations with training and certification from subject-matter experts and autistic self-advocates, and other resources, as well as long-term support that helps them understand how to better accommodate and assist autistic or sensory-sensitive visitors and their families.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Toledo Airport first U.S. airport to earn autism center designation
