Making goods and services accessible to people with disabilities in travel, transportation & tourism

Board of Directors
David Crasko

April 25, 2019

Joe Entwisle
Eric Lipp
Executive Director
Jeffrey D. Lipp
Wendy Lipp-Segalla
Jeffrey S. Margolis
Alice Meisels
Michael Hough

Advisory Board
Jay Cardinali
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Chef Joe Cosenza
Henry Ford College
Dr. Michael Falender
Tom Fike
Cardinal Hayes High School
Adrea Lipp
David Nelson
Amtrak
Mark Peysakhovich
Ray Prentice
Alaska Airlines
Dr. Don Robinson
Lesley Slavitt
Jerri Voda
Constantine "Gus"
Zografopoulos
Z Life Program/ODO

To Whom It May Concern:
I write this letter in support of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's (SEA) plan to begin
construction on curb cuts on the Arrivals and Departures drives. This recommendation was one of the
top priorities identified in the SEA Accessibility Assessment and Research Project that Open Doors
Organization (ODO) completed in 2017, following the Port of Seattle's mission of becoming the most
accessible airport for travelers with disabilities, older adults and non-English speakers.
The purpose of the project was to identify key areas of improvement pertaining to accessibility
throughout the airport and based on these areas, provide recommendations for how to best address
these areas within a realistic timeframe. The addition of curb cuts along the Arrivals and Departures
drives was among the top 3 recommendations made, both to ensure compliance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards and to provide easier access for arriving and departing
passengers with and without disabilities.
The ADA requires facilities, such as airport passenger terminals, with long, continuous passenger
loading zones to provide one accessible passenger loading zone in every continuous 100 linear feet of
loading zone space. Although SEA may be exempt from this requirement due to the terminal being
built prior to the 1990 signing of the ADA, the benefit that curb cuts provide to the greater population
of travelers cannot be overlooked. Whether a traveler uses a wheelchair or scooter, has difficulty with
steps or lifting luggage, or is traveling with a child and stroller, curb cuts provide a level, nonrestrictive path for any traveler.
While the population of aging adults continues to grow, and now a reported 1 in 4 people have a
disability per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there will be an increase in the amount of
travelers needing access to a curb cut so adding more will also reduce likely congestion on both drives
in the future.
On behalf of ODO, I commend the Port of Seattle and Sea-Tac for not only initiating the Accessibility
Assessment and Research Project, but also moving forward with the recommendations made. It is
clear that access is a priority across the board, from Commissioners to each airport department, and
we are excited to see SEA continue to work towards the goal of becoming the most accessible airport.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email at EricLipp@opendoorsnfp.org or by
phone at 1-773-388-8839.
Kind regards,

Eric Lipp
Executive Director
Open Doors Organization ● 8600 W. Catalpa, Suite 709 ● Chicago, Illinois 60656 ● Tel. 773.388.8839 ● Fax 773.432.7567

www.opendoorsnfp.org