By Madeline Fuerstenberg, Community Reporter
Air travel can often be overwhelming and stressful for passengers. The busy atmosphere, tight flight schedules and constant movement are only a few of the factors that contribute to the excitement.
For individuals with autism or other intellectual or developmental disabilities the effects of these factors tend to be amplified.
On July 13, the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport will host an event designed specifically to address the special processes of traveling with a child with autism or a related disability.
Wings for All is an event that was established by The Arc, one of the largest non-profit organizations that advocates and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kerry Mauger, senior manager of Special Projects at The Arc in Washington D.C., said in an email interview that the event originated in Boston, MA, and then expanded nationally in 2014. To date, The Arc has hosted over 150 Wings for All events, but this year will mark the first one to take place in Eau Claire.
Wings for All is a free airport rehearsal program geared toward individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, according to Mauger.
“Families get to experience all the steps included in air travel – from obtaining a boarding pass, going through TSA security and boarding a plane that does not take off,” Mauger said. “The goal of the program is to familiarize participants with the air travel process and airport environment so that they are given the tools and practice needed to successfully take a flight one day in the future.”
Additionally, the Wings for All event allows individuals with autism or other disabilities to determine whether or not air travel is a possibility for their family without the stress of purchasing a plane ticket. This can open doors for these individuals to be able to visit family members who live far away, travel to new places and have many new life experiences, Mauger said.
The program also allows airport staff to gain experience working and engaging with passengers who have special needs, deepening their understanding of how best to accommodate their unique needs.
The Eau Claire chapter of The Arc worked in partnership with Chady Travel, United and SkyWest Airlines and the Chippewa Valley Airport to bring this event to the Eau Claire community.
In an email interview, Lisa Chady, owner and travel consultant of Chady Travel, said she initially started the process of bringing Wings for All event to Eau Claire by contacting all the people involved and securing the airplane time from SkyWest and United.
Chady said she has children with similar special needs, providing her with her own experiences traveling as a family. Additionally, Chady is a Certified Autism Travel Professional. She said she would like to help more families like her own enjoy their travel experiences.
“This event is valuable within our community because it raises awareness of the difficulty those with autism, developmental and intellectual disabilities have during airplane travel,” Chady said. “It creates a low-risk, free opportunity for families to practice airplane travel so travel may be an option in the future.”
Marit Waack, executive director of The Arc of Eau Claire, said in an email interview that event costs have been defrayed by a host of local sponsors, including the TSA, United Cerebral Palsy of West Central Wisconsin, the Chippewa Valley Autism Society, The Arc of Dunn County, the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin, Hanger 54 and Chippewa Waters.
According to Waack, the first boarding registration on July 13 begins at 10 a.m. for the 11:30 a.m. boarding. Registration for boarding at 12:30 p.m. will start at 11:30 a.m. After the event, there will be a small reception for the participating families to share their experiences and provide feedback.
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