June 2022 News
I want to pay tribute this month to Ray Prentice who is retiring from Alaska Airlines on June 30. In my 23 years at ODO, he has helped me shape and understand how to approach aviation. And it doesn’t stop at the door to the aircraft: he gives me advice on anything he feels necessary at ODO. Ray is truly a pioneer in accessible aviation in the United States. We trust Ray so much around here that we have a saying: WWRD--What Would Ray Do? That's the question we ask ourselves on every CRO call! So Ray, right now I am waving and smiling goodbye to a great colleague and a friend. You always have a voice with ODO!
(Shown above: Ray Prentice and Eric Lipp, ODO Disability Access Professional Award, UAIA 2012)
Eric Lipp, Executive Director
Open Doors Organization
UAIA 2022--Come Join Us!
Universal Access in Aviation 2022 will take place October 25-27 at American Airlines' Skyview 8 Headquarters at DFW. Held biennially since 2006, this unique event from ODO brings together airports, airlines, service companies, technology suppliers and the disability community. The main topics on the agenda are Regulatory Updates; Enhancing Airport-Airline Collaboration/Coordination; Assessing & Improving Customer Satisfaction; Collaborating with the Disability Community; Creating an Inclusive Culture--Training & Employment; New Technologies & Amenities; and Current Challenges & Solutions. Register now to take advantage of Early Bird pricing and our steeply discounted block rates at DFW Marriott Airport South. Registration includes breakfast and lunch both days plus two networking cocktail parties--what a bargain! Speaking and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Information and registration.
ODO Airline Symposium 2022
Calling all airlines--national, regional and international--to join us on Oct. 25 to explore how to improve service for your customers with disabilities and older adults. This one-day event, held just before UAIA, allows airlines to meet in a closed-door session with their colleagues and ODO staffers to discuss the issues most important to them. Items on the agenda this year include Service Animals, Wheelchair Stowage/Handling, Building the Business Case, and an Open Forum. The Symposium, which runs from 10am to 4pm, is free of charge and includes lunch. We hope, of course, that you will also join us for UAIA which kicks off with a Cocktail Party at 5pm that evening. For details and to register, contact Katy O'Reilly.
Recent Event Roundup
ODO staffers have been busy this spring sharing their expertise on accessibility at a number of aviation and tourism conferences. After the long hiatus, it's great to return to in-person meetings and face-to-face networking! Shown above are Katy O'Reilly and Pat Pound at WATS in Orlando. Halldale Group recently posted a WATS 2022 Overview with tips from their presentation on assisting persons with vision loss.
ODO also participated this June on panels at both the Passenger Terminal Conference in Paris and the Third British-Irish Airports Expo Accessibility Conference in London. Shown above at the latter are Josh Wintersgill, ableMove UK; Ann Frye, Independent Gatwick Accessibility Group; Peter O'Broin, Government Affairs Manager and accessibility expert, UK & Ireland, IATA; Leo Visconti, Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People; Laurel Van Horn, ODO; and Everita Strelca, TUI UK & I. Accessibility Conference Presentations are now available online including Laurel's presentation on ODO's new Mobility Aid Information Tag.
