Stan Heaton recently visited the Delta One Lounge at JFK International Airport to observe how Delta Air Lines is working to improve accessibility for travelers with disabilities. The lounge, which spans 39,000 square feet and features gold accents and white marble counters inspired by New York’s architectural history, served as the setting for a meeting between Delta representatives and members of Lighthouse Guild, an organization serving people who are blind or visually impaired.
Thomas Panek, President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild and a member of Delta’s Advisory Board on Disability and Accessible Travel, attended the gathering. Panek described his experience in the lounge: “I’m feeling the comfort of the chair I’m sitting in, the smoothness of the floor, the texture of the tables, so everything architecturally related but in a different way. The texture of the fabric, the way the cushion is. So all of these things I pay a little bit more attention to because of course I can’t see the colors – they mean nothing to me – and I can’t see the design or the art of the walls.”
Panek has served on Delta’s advisory board for five years. The board itself has worked with Delta for 25 years to help improve travel experiences for passengers with various disabilities.
“I’m here to sort of celebrate the accessibility of the Delta Lounge having given me an opportunity to experience it at its best,” Panek said.
Alison Lathrop leads Delta’s Accessibility team and also works closely with this advisory board. She explained: “Travel is for everybody, and really, at Delta, look at travel from all kinds of different perspectives. In my role, I work with Delta’s Advisory Board on Disability and Accessible Travel so we can really take the welcoming, elevated and caring perspective and think about that with all of our customers.”
Panek emphasized that listening is key when designing accessible spaces: “I think first of all listening to all your customers is the most important thing, and every customer has different needs. I have difference needs as a person who’s not able to see that are quite unique. However, by listening to me, you might be able to learn about not only a person who’s visually impaired or blind but how to serve other customers differently.”
During their visit, participants compared soundscapes between JFK Terminal—described as loud—and inside Delta One Lounge where quieter white noise and jazz played in background.
“I’m using all my other senses to experience the club. I’m listening to the music that’s playing in the background right now – really nice jazz. I feel the space. I know how big the location is. I can feel the high ceilings. I echolocate around to see how big the room is. So I’m experiencing the space in a very different way. My eyes aren’t limited by a wall, but I’m sort of feeling the space if that makes sense,” Panek explained.
Duane Clark from Delta added: “As you know, in this brand, Delta One, or even in Sky Clubs, what’s most important is understanding what guests like and what are dislikes so we work very hard and diligently to try to accommodate as many different groups of people as possible.”
Lathrop reiterated: “Whether you are a customer who is blind or low vision, whether you’re a customer who’s deaf or hard of hearing, whether you have a mobility impairment or a cognitive disability we just want to make sure that we’re meeting your needs; and best way we can do that is ask: How can we help you?”
The visit ended with Panek sharing his thoughts on perception beyond sight: “I think way think about that is: Close your eyes it’s still beautiful world.”
