Matthew Parks

Matthew is Dialog’s practice-wide aviation lead, with over two decades of airport planning and facility design excellence around the globe. He has provided design leadership in several large, complex projects across western Canada, including Calgary International Airport’s International facilities project, and Winnipeg’s International Airport East cargo facilities project. Matt lives in Canmore, Alberta. When not ‘architecting’ he enjoys outdoor sports, especially rock climbing with his two sons and mountain-bike riding with his wife.

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Designing inclusive airports: charting the course – reimagining accessibility in air travel

Airports are often envisioned as our gateways to adventure, but for those with disabilities they are often gateways to frustration. Whether it’s navigating through a maze of terminals, securing a wheelchair-accessible restroom or finding assistance with luggage, the challenges are numerous. A group of design and accessibility experts is undertaking a three-year qualitative study on the current state of airport accessibility and how we can improve it. Currently underway, the Inclusive Airports study provides innovative, insightful recommendations that will redefine the way we design air travel. Join this session to hear about the preliminary findings and recommendations for terminal design.

The audience will learn:

• Learn about the current state of airport accessibility in Canada
• Learn about the Inclusive Airports study methodology and key findings
• Better understand the challenges faced by those with visible and invisible disabilities when navigating airports
• Learn about the key recommendations from researchers and aviation design experts to promote inclusivity
• Learn about best practices from leading airports around the world to improve accessibility