Big Sky Times

Missoula Montana Airport has joined a select number of airports receiving national recognition, as it becomes the fourth airport in the country certified as a sensory inclusive facility by Kulture City. 

“Our goal is just to make the building as accessible as possible for everyone,” Ground Handling Manager Andrew Bailey told NBC Montana. “It was a newer initiative that we had not really heard of until last year, and since it's a new building, it's the right time to push forward with this initiative and any other that we might come across.” 

Kulture City is a leading nonprofit working toward sensory accessibility for those with "invisible" disabilities. People who suffer from sensory overload include those who have post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, dementia and other health concerns. 

Airports can be challenging places for such people because they are noisy and crowded, which that can disturb those with sensory sensitivities.

Specialized staff training and providing resources on sensory features for families and individuals were some of the marks in sensory accessibility that the Missoula airport met, according to NBC Montana.

Airport officials added that they are also working toward a separate initiative called the Sunflower Lanyard Program for Hidden Disability Awareness, and the certification would offer additional education for airport staff in making the facility dementia-friendly. Under that initiative, visitors would wear a green lanyard, pin or bracelet covered with sunflowers as an indication that they have dementia or another hidden disability. 

Other airports that have at least some degree of sensory inclusivity include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International and Raleigh-Durham International, though the offerings vary at each of the sites.