This content originally appeared on TPGi and was authored by Melissa Morse
This article provides information about accessibility laws and regulations but is not legal advice. You should consult a lawyer for advice on specific legal issues or problems.
Self-service devices are everywhere in modern transportation hubs. From airport check-in stations to restaurants to transit ticketing terminals, they help streamline operations and reduce wait times. Designers who exclude certain groups from kiosks turn these systems into barriers instead of conveniences.
For people with disabilities, a kiosk without accessible input or audio output can mean they can’t complete essential tasks. Barriers can lead to increased stress and frustration and may require asking for help. The resulting delays could lead to missing a flight; kiosk barriers can mean being unable to access or pay for a meal, luggage, or other critical travel purchases. These breakdowns aren’t rare; they happen daily in airports worldwide.
Airport operators and technology providers have a legal responsibility and a usability challenge: to ensure that every traveler can independently access the services offered at a kiosk, regardless of ability.
Accessibility Standards and Requirements for Airport Kiosks
A network of national and international regulations governs accessibility compliance for kiosks. While there are differences in scope and enforcement, these laws share a consistent expectation: kiosks must be accessible to people with disabilities.
This includes passengers who are blind or have low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, use mobility devices, or have cognitive or learning disabilities that affect their interaction with digital systems.
Key Accessibility Standards for Airport and Airline Kiosks
In the United States, Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to public entities and places of public accommodation, respectively. While the ADA Standards for Accessible Design specify technical criteria for ATMs and fare machines, the broader law mandates that services provided through kiosks, such as flight check-in or wayfinding, must also be accessible.
Separately, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) governs airline-operated kiosks and requires that a certain percentage of kiosks meet accessibility requirements.
In Canada, the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) require that all newly installed airport kiosks conform to the CSA B651 standard, which outlines detailed input, output, and operability provisions.
In Europe, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) covers many self-service technologies, including payment terminals, ATMs, ticketing kiosks, check-in machines, and interactive information screens. The EAA outlines accessibility requirements for both these devices’ hardware and software user interfaces.
Any covered self-service terminal introduced in an EU member state on or after June 28, 2025, must meet these accessibility requirements. Kiosks already used before that deadline may remain in service, even if non-compliant, but must be replaced within 20 years. This long tail phase-out underscores the need for forward-looking procurement and development strategies well before the enforcement date.
In South Korea, digital accessibility for self-service kiosks is advancing under the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Act and Korea Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (KWCAG). Accessibility requirements increasingly apply beyond the web to include technologies like kiosks.
For example, Seoul plans to replace over 5000 kiosks by mid-2025 with accessible models offering voice guidance, large fonts, and wheelchair-friendly design. Businesses must comply with phased legal obligations that started in July 2024. This includes tactile flooring, Braille blocks, and multi-modal communication. These efforts aim to ensure equitable access to check-in, ticketing, and other services for people with disabilities and the elderly.
Core Accessibility Requirements Shared Across Standards
Despite their regional differences, these laws all point to a standard set of expectations. Accessible kiosks must have operable parts positioned within reach ranges suitable for wheelchair users, typically between 15 and 48 inches above the floor.
They need to support screen reader functionality that can provide real-time, spoken navigation for users who are blind or have low vision. Audio cues must be delivered through a standard 3.5mm headphone jack to preserve privacy in public spaces.
Kiosks must include tactile input options such as physical keypads or navigation pads for users who can’t interact with a touchscreen. Visual content must be designed with clarity in mind, offering high-contrast displays, scalable font sizes, and intuitive layout structures to aid users with low vision or cognitive disabilities.
Finally, kiosks should support more than one method of interaction whenever possible, ensuring that no single mode (visual, tactile, or auditory) becomes a barrier.
In short, accessible and inclusive design means creating kiosks that work across various abilities, environments, and travel scenarios. Understanding how these laws intersect with inclusive design best practices is critical to ensuring that self-service technology works for everyone who passes through an airport.
3 Ways to Improve the Passenger Experience at Airport Kiosks
Kiosk accessibility requires thoughtful hardware, software, and content integration to ensure travelers with disabilities can interact with the kiosk independently, confidently, and efficiently. Here are three key strategies to elevate the passenger experience while aligning with accessibility standards.
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Incorporate Purpose-Built Hardware for Accessible Input
Accessible interaction starts with hardware. For travelers who are blind, have low vision, or cannot use touchscreens due to mobility limitations, kiosks must offer physical controls that are both intuitive and compliant with accessibility standards.
Touchscreens can’t be the only input option, particularly in busy airport environments where visual glare, standing fatigue, and height differentials make them difficult for many people to use. This is where purpose-built tactile input devices come into play.
Products like Storm Interface’s NavPad and AudioNav keypads are specifically engineered for public kiosks. They offer:
- Tactile controls with embossed symbols to help users feel their way through navigation.
- Integrated headphone jacks that enable private, real-time audio prompts to help travelers relying on screen readers.
- Vandal-resistant design suited to unattended, high-use public environments.
- Seamless compatibility with JAWS for Kiosk, making audio and navigation cues responsive and reliable.
This type of hardware is critical for blind and low-vision users and benefits travelers with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, or other motor impairments that make touchscreen accuracy difficult. The result? A kiosk that more passengers can use independently, with dignity and control.
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Deliver a High-Quality Non-Visual User Experience with JAWS for Kiosk
Visual interfaces dominate most self-service designs. However, for people who are blind or have low vision, a kiosk is unusable without an alternative interface, typically through audio and tactile navigation
JAWS for Kiosk delivers a screen reader experience explicitly built for self-service environments. Unlike general desktop screen readers, it is optimized for quick, linear, task-driven interaction, perfect for time-sensitive scenarios like airline check-in.
Key features include:
- Speech output is tailored to the kiosk interface so that users receive spoken prompts that reflect the layout and function of the screen.
- Support for Windows and Android platforms provides flexibility for IT teams managing diverse kiosk ecosystems.
- Customizable scripting allows developers to create logical, intuitive user flows that reduce confusion and support faster task completion.
- Built-in compatibility with tactile input devices ensures the audio experience aligns with physical navigation controls.
Whether a traveler is selecting a language, reviewing a seat assignment, or printing a boarding pass, JAWS for Kiosk gives them the independence to complete those steps confidently and privately.
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Support Collaborative Accessibility Across the Kiosk Supply Chain
Making a kiosk accessible isn’t the responsibility of a single team. It’s a shared effort across hardware providers, software developers, system integrators, and content owners. Accessibility often gets siloed or introduced too late, creating gaps undermining usability.
A truly accessible kiosk experience requires each player in the supply chain to take ownership of their piece. This includes:
- Hardware vendors ensure that controls, screens, ports, and mounts meet physical accessibility guidelines.
- Software developers build interfaces compatible with assistive tech and follow structured, logical workflows.
- Kiosk manufacturers and integrators validate that the system supports tactile input, screen reader output, and proper device placement.
- Procurement teams embed accessibility language in RFPs and contracts to set expectations from the outset.
- Content teams deliver on-screen text and multimedia content that meets accessibility requirements.
By aligning across these roles, organizations can prevent accessibility from being an afterthought or retrofit. Collaboration helps ensure that instructions for using the kiosk are provided, accurate, and accessible. Collaboration helps reduce deployment risk, avoid costly rework, and deliver a better experience from day one.
Rethinking Accessibility for the Future of Travel
Airports are complex environments where travelers have a range of needs and abilities, and accessibility can’t be solved with a single feature or one-time fix. Making kiosks accessible takes collaboration across hardware and software, attention to evolving regulations, and input from the people who use them.
However, the outcome is worth it: passengers move through the airport more efficiently, require fewer staff interventions, and travelers with disabilities can navigate their journeys with the same autonomy as everyone else.
If your team is planning, upgrading, or troubleshooting kiosk deployments, now is the time to assess how accessibility is integrated and where improvements are needed. Download the JAWS for Kiosk brochure to explore how to improve your kiosk experience.
The award-winning JAWS for Kiosk is the leading screen reader software specifically designed for self-service devices. Supporting 100+ languages and optimized for kiosk environments, it enables travelers who are blind or have low vision to independently navigate check-in, ticketing, and other essential airport services.
With seamless integration across Android and Windows platforms and compatibility with tactile input devices, JAWS for Kiosk ensures compliance and a better passenger experience.
Want to future-proof your transportation kiosks? Contact TPGi to audit and enhance your kiosk experience today.
The post 3 Ways to Improve the Passenger Experience at Airport Kiosks appeared first on TPGi.
This content originally appeared on TPGi and was authored by Melissa Morse
Melissa Morse | Sciencx (2025-06-10T12:04:52+00:00) 3 Ways to Improve the Passenger Experience at Airport Kiosks. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/06/10/3-ways-to-improve-the-passenger-experience-at-airport-kiosks/
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