Problems at airports?

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The Civil Aviation Authority has new guidance to support people with hidden disabilities. Some airports now have an ‘invisible illnesses’ lanyard to assist people with conditions such as diabetes to help ensure a discrete and positive experience when passing through the airport.

https://www.caa.co.uk/Blog-Posts/Passengers-with-hidden-disabilities/


I’ve found a few more airports who have this policy and use different ways for people to show they have a hidden disability. It seems it is voluntary at the moment but hopefully eventually it would be in place at all airports.

Manchester - https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/help/special-assistance/invisible-disabilities/


Aberdeen - https://www.aberdeenairport.com/abo...s-launched-at-aberdeen-international-airport/


Birmingham – lanyard- https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/terminal-facilities/special-assistance/

Bristol- https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/ab...-media-centre/2017/3/hidden-disabilities-card


East Midlands - https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/help/special-assistance/hidden-disabilities/


Edinburgh – lanyards and pins - https://www.edinburghairport.com/prepare/travelling-with-additional-needs#lanyiards

Glasgow - https://www.glasgowairport.com/at-the-airport/airport-services/

Gatwick - https://www.gatwickairport.com/at-t...vices/special-assistance/hidden-disabilities/


Newcastle –hidden disabilities ‘passport’ - https://www.newcastleairport.com/hidden-disabilities


Heathrow - https://www.heathrow.com/airport-guide/special-assistance/hidden-and-cognitive-disabilities

Has anyone here found that they've had problems with security or staff whilst traveling with diabetes?
 
Emma Diabetes UK said:
Has anyone here found that they've had problems with security or staff whilst traveling with diabetes?
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No, but I don't think I've had any significant hypo in an airport. (Have had while travelling by train, but the staff then were wonderful, probably helped by the fact I happened to be travelling with my mother who obviously knew what was happening.) Security at airports have been fine with me having needles and things, and gels (in the form of Frio pouches).
 
Never had any problem, just some funny looks in Budapest a few years back. I must not have looked like someone with diabetes.

That was before my wheelchair existence. There are airports that struggle with that, still, never mind hidden disabilities.
 
I had a bad hypo once, just as I was going through security at Manchester airport. I managed to explain that I had Type 1 and got them to retrieve my jelly babies that were in my rapidly disappearing backpack. The staff were very good. It took quite a while to recover, which is unusual for me, and quite a lot of JBs. I think it may have been the situation and 'strange' surroundings that made it feel more severe.
 
It’s a worthwhile service and I’m particularly pleased to see them acknowledging the stress and sensory overload autistic people can experience in airports.

I can remember my son, when he was very young, having a bit of a meltdown in a manic, packed foreign airport. He screamed very loudly and the place almost fell silent except for one woman who shouted, ‘and so say all of us son!’
 
I had a bad experience last summer at LHR T3 when a security man tried to make me go through a body scanner despite my polite refusal backed up by a print-out of Medtronic's firm advice that the pump (with me attached) must not go through. I was taken off to a sealed room for a body search. I felt so bullied and humiliated that I sought out the duty manager to make a formal complaint. I also had a similar, but not nearly so bad, experience at LHR T5 two or three years ago.

I've never had any other problems anywhere else in passing through dozens of airports all over the world, so perhaps LHR has a training problem.
 
This is good news. I have passed through many airports without trouble until this year at Manchester. Usually I tell them I have diabetic supplies including needles and produce my GPs letter and they just wave me through without even looking at it. This year I was made to unpack all my diabetic supplies put them in a plastic bag and then I had to wait to one side whilst they checked them for drugs. Then I had to repack them all, spare insulin cartridges in my Frio etc, all this took extra time in a very busy airport. To add insult to injury they took my letter from me and forgot to return it! I didn’t realise until I was travelling home and got into a panic but it was fine coming back. This all put unnecessary stress on what is already a stressful experience. Will definitely use when I travel from Glasgow in October.
 
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Damn! Just realised Glasgow haven’t got it in place yet! Here’s hoping.
 
eggyg said:
Damn! Just realised Glasgow haven’t got it in place yet! Here’s hoping.
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I've just had a look on Glasgow airports website and it turns out they do have lanyards - just got to ask for one! I took the quote below from their website 🙂

'Travelling with a Hidden Disability

We have been working with a number of different charities to improve our staff training and awareness of hidden disabilities and to improve the assistance we provide. If you or someone you are travelling with have a hidden disability we will be happy to provide you with a lanyard which will discreetly identify you to airport staff as requiring additional support.

Our front line Security staff have been trained to recognize these lanyards and offer special assistance to passengers passing through the Security Search process. To obtain one, kindly check in with the special assistance desk on the ground floor in our main check-in area and they will also explain what we can do to help you on your journey.'

https://www.glasgowairport.com/at-the-airport/airport-services/

I've added it to the list above. If anyone knows or hears of any other airports now offering this service the please share!
 
m1dnc said:
I had a bad experience last summer at LHR T3 when a security man tried to make me go through a body scanner despite my polite refusal backed up by a print-out of Medtronic's firm advice that the pump (with me attached) must not go through. I was taken off to a sealed room for a body search. I felt so bullied and humiliated that I sought out the duty manager to make a formal complaint. I also had a similar, but not nearly so bad, experience at LHR T5 two or three years ago.

I've never had any other problems anywhere else in passing through dozens of airports all over the world, so perhaps LHR has a training problem.
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I should have mentioned that I was kept waiting for twenty minutes or so after I refused to go through the body scanner while they found someone to do the body search. During that time the security man kept haranguing and nagging me to go through the scanner.
 
Southend airport has a similar thing - theirs is a blue wristband I believe
 
never had any problems. My pump goes through body scanner fine. It has also gone through the next one where you hold your arms up no worries, so I have never had to ask for special treatment.
 
stephknits said:
never had any problems. My pump goes through body scanner fine. It has also gone through the next one where you hold your arms up no worries, so I have never had to ask for special treatment.
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I don't know which pump you are using Stephknits, but Medtronic's advice is very clear - it's OK to go through the arch, but the pump must not go through the newer body scanners (where you hold your arms up) or on the X-ray belt. You should request a pat-down search instead. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk of ignoring the advice - I wouldn't want a pump failure in the middle of a 14 hour flight.
 
I am not ignoring advice. Omnipod fine with body scanner, the PDM fine with x-ray. If anything did happen (which it hasn't), I can simply change my pod. Screenshot_20180725-123309.png
 
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