Hi, I'm Holly Schroeder.
I help teams transform complex, cluttered products into clear, meaningful experiences.
Accessible Services Fail
Blind Passenger
Client: Major commercial passenger airline (domestic and international)Role: Inclusive Research and Design StrategyParticipants: Six adults (men and women) who travel frequently for work or leisure. Participants were low vision, blind, colorblind, or wheelchair users with limited mobility.
CHALLENGE
Passengers who need accessibility support were being routed through a “Special Assistance” form that looked simple on the surface, but broke down fast in real use. The form forced passengers into rigid categories and single-choice selections, with no way to describe real-world needs, edge cases, or instructions.For passengers who are blind, low vision, colorblind, or wheelchair users, the experience created friction at the exact moment they needed clarity. Critical details were missing: what happens after submission, how services are activated on arrival, what to do at the airport, and how to confirm the request didn’t disappear.The core gap wasn’t “better copy” or “more fields.” It was a broken service request system: limited inputs, missing follow-on requirements, and no visibility into the status of a request.
PAIN POINTS
The work identified breakdowns in six key areas:
End-to-end Accessible Services workflow that delivers reliable handoffs, clear activation steps, and status visibility from booking through baggage claim.
Capture real needs at booking: multi-select assistance, open-text notes, and triggered follow-on forms (e.g., powered mobility details).
Make requests visible: instant receipt + confirmation number, ‘My Trips’ status tracker, and clear next-step expectations with direct contact info.
Standardize activation + handoffs: step-by-step “where to go / what to show / what happens next,” plus a shared active-request record that re-routes during disruptions.
Improve wayfinding + fit confidence: sighted guide option, precise meeting points (not “look for X”), aircraft accessibility details, and a “will this work?” checker.
Treat arrival as service: default arrival plan to baggage claim/ground transport and a clear re-activation process on landing.
Passenger Journey
Work
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