Making goods and services accessible to people with disabilities in travel, transportation & tourism 


Board of Directors      April 25, 2019 
David Crasko 
Joe Entwisle 
Eric Lipp 
Executive Director 
To Whom It May Concern: 
Jeffrey D. Lipp 
Wendy Lipp-Segalla         I write this letter in support of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's (SEA) plan to begin
Jeffrey S. Margolis          construction on curb cuts on the Arrivals and Departures drives. This recommendation was one of the
Alice Meisels               top priorities identified in the SEA Accessibility Assessment and Research Project that Open Doors
Michael Hough             Organization (ODO) completed in 2017, following the Port of Seattle's mission of becoming the most
accessible airport for travelers with disabilities, older adults and non-English speakers. 
Advisory Board 
Jay Cardinali 
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts   The purpose of the project was to identify key areas of improvement pertaining to accessibility
throughout the airport and based on these areas, provide recommendations for how to best address
Chef Joe Cosenza 
Henry Ford College          these areas within a realistic timeframe. The addition of curb cuts along the Arrivals and Departures
Dr. Michael Falender         drives was among the top 3 recommendations made, both to ensure compliance with the Americans
Tom Fike                 with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards and to provide easier access for arriving and departing
Cardinal Hayes High School   passengers with and without disabilities. 
Adrea Lipp 
David Nelson 
Amtrak                  The ADA requires facilities, such as airport passenger terminals, with long, continuous passenger
loading zones to provide one accessible passenger loading zone in every continuous 100 linear feet of
Mark Peysakhovich 
loading zone space. Although SEA may be exempt from this requirement due to the terminal being
Ray Prentice 
Alaska Airlines             built prior to the 1990 signing of the ADA, the benefit that curb cuts provide to the greater population
Dr. Don Robinson           of travelers cannot be overlooked. Whether a traveler uses a wheelchair or scooter, has difficulty with
Lesley Slavitt              steps or lifting luggage, or is traveling with a child and stroller, curb cuts provide a level, non-
Jerri Voda                 restrictive path for any traveler. 
Constantine "Gus"
Zografopoulos             While the population of aging adults continues to grow, and now a reported 1 in 4 people have a
Z Life Program/ODO 
disability per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there will be an increase in the amount of
travelers needing access to a curb cut so adding more will also reduce likely congestion on both drives 
in the future. 
On behalf of ODO, I commend the Port of Seattle and Sea-Tac for not only initiating the Accessibility
Assessment and Research Project, but also moving forward with the recommendations made. It is
clear that access is a priority across the board, from Commissioners to each airport department, and
we are excited to see SEA continue to work towards the goal of becoming the most accessible airport. 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email at EricLipp@opendoorsnfp.org or by
phone at 1-773-388-8839. 
Kind regards, 

Eric Lipp 
Executive Director 
Open Doors Organization  8600 W. Catalpa, Suite 709  Chicago, Illinois 60656  Tel. 773.388.8839  Fax 773.432.7567
www.opendoorsnfp.org