Beyond accessibility 

A British Airways employee assists passengers with check in

British Airways has launched ‘Beyond Accessibility’, a campaign to bring about improvements for disabled customers to make their journeys simpler and easier. A new training film, integrated into frontline training, has been key to achieving this, with the focus on inclusivity, emotional engagement and great customer service.

The ‘Beyond Accessibility’ campaign was launched to rewrite accessibility at British Airways by moving away from a culture of compliance and processing to one that focuses on the customer and service.

One of the most important aims of the campaign has been to change the perception of disability amongst its customer facing colleagues and give them the skills and knowledge to be able to confidently and consistently engage with their customers. The airline has chosen to move from PRM (passengers with restricted mobility) to AA (additional assistance) incorporating and embracing a range of disabilities, such as autism, not just those using wheelchairs.

To help frontline colleagues, a simple but effective framework has been created to help and promote engagement with customers:

ASK: how best to assist your customer
LISTEN: and react to their answers
LEARN: from each interaction so you are better prepared to assist others in the future.

Read the British Airways guide for autism and other impairments.