Heathrow Special Assistance is friendly to those needing extra assistance. All terminals offer:
For general advice and information regarding the special assistance facilities at Heathrow Airport call +44 (0)20 8757 2700.
Heathrow Special Assistance can be found throughout the airport, however, assistance when boarding your flight and whilst on your flight is the responsibility of the airline that you have booked your flight with.
It is very important that you make the airline aware of any special requirements you may need as soon as possible. Ideally, it is best to talk to them when you book your ticket, as they might advise you of any extra arrangements that might be required.
Inform your airline of your particular needs in good time and check the policy of your airline if you wish to remain in your own wheelchair to the aircraft door rather than transfer to an airline wheelchair at check-in.
It is best to arrive at least two hours before your flight (more if it is an international flight outside of Europe) to leave enough time to get checked in, get through security and get to your gate.
If you are a wheelchair user, there is a high chance that you may set off the alarms in security. If you wish to be searched somewhere private then do mention it to the security staff and they will be happy to assist.
In Short Stay parking there is blue badge parking available, and close to these areas are help phones. You can use these to call for assistance in getting to the terminal if you require it.
In business parking and Long Stay car parks, there will also be blue badge parking and these should be located near bus stops and admin offices. However, it is highly recommended that you contact these car parks before you book so that you can double-check their facilities and procedures.
Here is an overview of disabled parking facilities for several airports in the UK, including Heathrow.
Please remember that transfer times to your gate varies greatly between and within terminals. It can be as little as 5 minutes and as much as 20 minutes. Assistance can be arranged to help you get to your gate, and there are lifts and travelators throughout the terminals.
Pre-arranging any necessary assistance will ensure that it's available and that no time is lost in waiting for it to be arranged once you arrive at the airport.
There are Special Assistance areas located throughout Heathrow Airport in all Terminals. At these points, they will have induction loops (look out for the 'sympathetic ear' symbol) as well as offering other assistance to passengers. Reserved seating areas for disabled passengers will also aim to have induction loops.
Changing Places facilities, designed with additional equipment and space to ensure safe and comfortable use, are available for departing passengers in various terminals. In Terminal 2, they are located after security near Gate B46 and in arrivals opposite Gate 18. In Terminal 3, they can be found after security opposite Gate 7. Terminal 4 offers facilities after security near Gate 11A and within the international arrivals hall. In Terminal 5, Changing Places are available after security near Gate 21.
Heathrow is set to become the worlds first Dementia friendly airport. Working with Alzheimer's Society, Heathrow are aiming to make all of their 76,000 employees Dementia aware through sessions, training and online resources. But what does being 'Dementia friendly' or 'Dementia aware' actually mean? And how will Heathrow be equipped to help passengers with Dementia? Heathrow have already started to implement features and initiatives around the airport, which include:
Travelling with Dementia can be a particularly stressful experience, the team at Airport Parking Shop have created a very useful blog with some tips to help with flying with Dementia, they have also looked into how other airports could follow and improvements that need to be implemented.
