Learn about Accessible Aviation - For Free!
Clare Kumar, AuDHD HSP 🌻
collective performance through neuroinclusive design. advocating for the “neurological safety” of space, culture, & experience 🎤Speaker 🤝🏼Exec Performance Coach 🎙Podcast Host 🌻 Inventor 🧠Advocate #HSP #AuDHD
In this episode of the Happy Space Podcast, I spoke with Ivan Berazhny , who is part of a major European initiative to improve accessibility in aviation and tourism. We met at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Madrid, where I first learned about his work on a project called INCLAVI. The goal of INCLAVI (INCLusive AVIation) is to raise awareness and practical competency among professionals serving travellers with diverse access needs.
Ivan is based at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences of Applied Sciences in Finland. His team, with support from the European Commission, has developed a comprehensive online training program. It is free, translated, and already in use by thousands of airport staff.
Customer-centric Curriculum
The INCLAVI curriculum consists of more than 40 modules designed to support professionals across the travel journey. Each module connects with a specific point in the journey, from pre-departure planning to arrival at the final destination. The training is occupation-specific. For example, flight attendants can focus on one cluster of modules, airport staff on another. There is also flexibility for individuals to explore beyond their immediate role.
Ivan explained that organizing the training by passenger journey, rather than by job title, helps expose each learner to what happens before and after their touchpoint with a traveller. That encourages awareness and builds empathy.
A Foundation Built on Evidence
The project was developed over five to six years involving a large consortium of partners, including IATA, the European Network for Accessible Tourism, Istanbul Grand Airport, and several European universities. The team’s focus has been on creating a resource that meets both practical and academic standards.
Each module includes clear learning objectives and assessments. Learners receive certificates of completion, and in some cases, the training can be transferred for academic credit.
The training has been piloted at Istanbul Grand Airport, where more than 4,000 employees are being introduced to the content. Ivan noted that translating key modules into Turkish has been essential. Many frontline staff do not speak English fluently, and translation ensures that accessibility learning is accessible itself.
Why Accessibility Training Matters
Accessibility is often missing from formal education so people enter the workforce with little preparation to support those with disabilities or access needs. This project addresses that gap. The training does not assume prior knowledge and avoids overreliance on personal experience. It is intended to standardize foundational understanding across roles and organizations.
We also discussed how language plays a critical role. Ivan emphasized the need to distinguish between terms such as accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility is about removing barriers. Inclusion is about welcoming and valuing participation. When used imprecisely, these terms can lose meaning. One of the modules addresses accessibility terminology in detail.
Avoiding Assumptions
Instead of focusing on diagnostic categories, the training looks at assistance needs. This approach avoids stereotyping and centers the experience of the traveller. For example, a person may be sensitive to light or sound, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis. Ivan’s team chose to build the curriculum around what support is required, not what label might apply.
We spoke about the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower as one example of a tool that raises awareness. Ivan acknowledged its use but was clear that visible indicators should not replace systemic support. The presence of a symbol does not guarantee that needs will be met. Training, structure, and accountability are still necessary.
How the Training Is Structured
Each module takes about ten hours of learning time. It is asynchronous and available online at www.inclavi.eu. Registration is required to access the training platform, and all deliverables are open access.
Ivan explained that the European Commission requires funded projects like INCLAVI to provide measurable impact and public benefit. The materials must remain freely available and updated for a set period after funding ends. There is no commercialization of the content. The goal is broad adoption and lasting change.
Beyond Aviation
Although the curriculum is built for aviation and tourism, Ivan noted that the structure could be adapted to other sectors. Any service that involves a journey—from planning to post-engagement—can benefit from this approach. What matters is mapping the sequence of touchpoints and ensuring that each one is designed to accommodate a range of needs.
This type of design can be applied to workplaces, education, healthcare, retail, and more. Ivan’s team has already begun exploring how the methodology can be shared beyond the aviation sector.
Encouraging Further Learning
Ivan described the training as a starting point, not a complete solution. The goal is to raise awareness, improve confidence, and promote curiosity. His students are conducting academic work to build on what the modules offer. Some are writing theses on autism and travel, while others are examining how cultural norms shape accessibility responses.
He acknowledged that many professionals may feel nervous about getting it wrong. That fear, he said, should not stop people from learning. The training emphasizes practical communication, attention to detail, and humility.
The Role of the European Commission
The European Commission plays a key role in supporting projects like INCLAVI. By funding curriculum development and requiring open access, the Commission ensures that smaller organizations can benefit from high-quality resources without having to create them from scratch.
Ivan noted that cost has often been a barrier to implementing accessibility training. INCLAVI removes that obstacle. The training can be adopted, adapted, or embedded into existing programs. There are no licensing fees or content restrictions.
Personal Reflections
At the end of our conversation, I asked Ivan to describe a happy space. He shared a simple yet powerful image: being in the Mediterranean Sea, eyes on the horizon. For him, the horizon symbolizes openness, calm, and possibility. It is a space without barriers, and it serves as a metaphor for the kind of environment this training seeks to promote.
His response underscored the importance of designing experiences that allow people to feel unburdened, supported, and seen. That begins with systems. It continues with education. And it is realized through the actions of people in service roles.
How Will You Take Advantage of This Resource or Approach?
INCLAVI offers a credible, structured, and freely accessible training platform that addresses a longstanding gap in professional education. It equips people in aviation and tourism with the tools to better support travellers with a range of access needs.
It is not a symbolic gesture. It is a detailed, practical intervention based on collaboration, research, and lived experience. The training is modular, occupation-specific, and built with scalability in mind.
I encourage anyone working in travel, customer service, or public-facing roles to explore the platform. The content is clear, flexible, and grounded in respect.
More information can be found at www.inclavi.eu.
Thank you for reading and listening. If today’s conversation sparked ideas or you know someone working in aviation, tourism, or accessibility, please share this episode.
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References
Kumar, C. (Host). (n.d.). Happy Space Podcast [Audio podcast]. Streamlife Ltd. Retrieved June 26, 2025, from https://www.clarekumar.com/podcast
Views are my own
3moThank you, Clare, for the conversation we had and other conversations that we will have! I am still in the middle of my doctoral journey, since academic and personal life shows its ups and downs, the process is not linear, yet happily shifting towards accessibility as the main topic - thus, a bit too early to be referred to as Dr Berazhny 😉