JOURNAL ARTICLE · EDITORIAL BRIEF
Navigating airports: a scoping review of physical access challenges and experiences for persons with disabilities
Ahmed Hadj Hassen; Ernesto Morales; David Gotti; Francois Routhier
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences · 22 July 2026 · Background
The finding or development
Accessibility provisions can exist yet fail across an airport journey. The review links fragmented assistance, navigation and infrastructure to barriers in practical use.
What supports it
Peer-reviewed scoping review of 14 scientific articles plus Canadian grey literature; final scientific search in 2024.
Reviewed: Abstract, methods, results overview and limitations; individual included studies not independently appraised.
Why it matters for design
Connect aviation, interface design and service research by assessing the complete journey, including transitions between physical and digital touchpoints.
Read with this in mind
English/French literature and geographically uneven evidence; grey literature restricted to Canada. Invisible disabilities remain underrepresented. This maps evidence rather than testing an intervention, and the search predates publication.
Original source
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DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2026.1680067
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