David Capozzi, Executive Director, U.S. Access Board, USA

Speaker Biograghy: David is the Executive Director of the US Access Board, the only Federal agency whose mission is accessibility for people with disabilities. David is responsible for US$7.4 million in programme expenditures and manages a staff of 30 professionals and support staff who develop accessibility guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act, Architectural Barriers Act, Telecommunications Act, and accessibility standards for electronic and information technology and medical diagnostic equipment under the Rehabilitation Act. He is also responsible for implementing the board’s Architectural Barriers Act enforcement programme, along with the board’s training, technical assistance and research programmes. David was previously Director of Project ACTION and Vice President of Advocacy for Easter Seals, and was the National Advocacy Director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America. He graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Law, and was an honours graduate and Phi Beta Kappa recipient at SUNY at Buffalo with an undergraduate degree in Psychology.


Day 1 - 25 March
Session:
Customer Service & Passenger Experience


10:00 - 10:25 - The next case for airport accessibility – the 'maturing' passenger
Synopsis: We will briefly outline the problem of airport passenger accessibility and mobility presented by dramatic shifts in ageing demographics worldwide. Every airport should offer every passenger, regardless of physical capability, the ability to move, either horizontally or vertically, through all public spaces with minimum difficulty. We will review a timeline of accessibility guidelines and implementation in US airports (presented by the US Access Board). A case study will be offered of a current airport accessibility project. Finally, we will advocate for future airport designs that include accommodations and technology addressing the physical and cognitive limits of mature world travellers.

Audience will learn: