Fort Wayne International Airport
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – “Airports are the gateway to the world,” said John Morris, founder of WheelchairTravel.org.
The only problem, Morris noted, is that airport design often closes the gateway to the world to people with disabilities.
“People with disabilities face many challenges, especially when traveling by air. People without disabilities don’t have to worry too much when traveling,” Morris said. “They just want to make sure they have selected the seat they want and have a ticket to board the plane where I, as a power wheelchair user, must consider whether my power wheelchair will fit on the aircraft, whether I have enough time to do so. o connection, what will the transportation be like when I arrive?”
Morris is a triple amputee who lost both legs and his right arm to burns in a 2012 car accident.
Now he runs WheelchairTravel.org, one of the leading resources for traveling with people with disabilities.
This also made him the perfect person for Fort Wayne International Airport to consult with as they are trying to make both terminals more accessible through universal design elements.
“Universal design is about ensuring the facility is accessible and easy to navigate for anyone, regardless of whether you have a disability or ability,” said Scott Hinderman, FWA Executive Director of Airports. “Another way of saying this is taking ADA to a whole new level.”
To take it to that higher level, the airport lowered curbs so wheelchairs can cross them, added textured trails for blind travelers to feel with canes, built hands-free bathroom doors, and more.
The airport has completed most of the changes to the west terminal and expects to complete the east terminal soon.
“We’re not done yet, by August 2025 our terminal project should be complete, hopefully we will have made the airport easier to navigate,” Hinderman said of the changes.
WANE 15 joined a tour as Hinderman and other FWA employees took Morris through the completed parts of the airport and those that are still under construction or need to be changed.
“I’m excited about the degree to which they have incorporated universal design principles into this next phase of development. We saw a lot of really cool features, some of which are already here and some of which are coming in the future,” said Morris.
The FWA is spending $140 million on the changes, but its goal is to make travel easier for everyone in Fort Wayne, and it’s something Morris thinks Fort Wayne is within reach.
“You know, I see a runway at this airport as having the potential to take me anywhere I want to go on this planet. And so it’s important that they are welcoming to ensure that every person with a disability you know feels confident to travel,” said Morris.
Morris is also the keynote speaker at the Inaugural Power of Tourism and Hospitality Awards, taking place Thursday, May 9, at the Parkview Mirro Center from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
You can learn more about the new awards ceremony on the Visit Fort Wayne website.
