Accessibility at YKA

Statement of Commitment to Accessibility 

Kamloops Airport Limited (KAL) is committed to providing a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. We believe in integration, equality of opportunity, and independent access and participation for persons with disabilities. KAL will ensure compliance with all applicable accessibility legislation by identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility. 

To request information in an alternate format, to provide accessibility feedback, or if you have any accommodation requests, please contact Tracy Brown (Manager, Operational Compliance). She can be reached by the following methods:

Contact by Phone

Phone: 250-376-3613, Extension 105
(Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, excluding holidays)

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“The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for you to voluntarily share that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent – and that you may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces.” – Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Website

While using Kamloops Airport for travel, customs, business, or even just to watch the skies, visitors have the option to request a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard from terminal security or Airport Administration. These lanyards are green with yellow sunflowers, and help people with hidden disabilities discreetly and voluntarily indicate they may need a little more help or time when travelling through the Kamloops Airport and other airports around the world. Hidden disabilities take many forms and include Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, chronic pain, dementia, learning difficulties, mobility issues, anxiety disorders, vision and hearing difficulties, and many more.

If you’d like to arrange to have a lanyard provided prior to your visit to Kamloops Airport, please contact YKA Administration by phone or through the Questions or Concerns submission fields at the bottom of this page!

Accessible Ground Transportation

Accessible ground transportation is available at Kamloops Airport and in the city of Kamloops. Shuttles, limousines, taxis, buses, including HandyDART, and service cars should be pre-arranged with the service provider ahead of time to ensure an accessible vehicle is ready to take you to or from the airport. Ground Transportation Operators open doors for all clients, assist loading and unloading luggage and assist persons with disabilities to the front of the line at their check in desk inside the terminal.

For more information on ground transportation options, including reserving accessible vehicles from car rental companies serving Kamloops Airport, please visit our To & From page.

Parking

Our terminal parking facilities are fully accessible with designated parking spots. To use one of these spots, please ensure your valid Accessible Parking Permit is displayed and clearly visible on the vehicles’ sun visor or front dash. Curbside pick-up and drop-off is also available; however, no vehicle can be left unattended in these areas.

Airline Assistance

If you are flying in or out of Kamloops Airport, it is important to contact your airline prior to travelling to let them know that you require special assistance. Airline representatives will be able to provide information on the use of wheelchairs, passenger escort services, and support with check-in and boarding processes, as well as arrival at your destination.

While Kamloops Airport does its best to accommodate all passengers, failure to pre-arrange assistance may result in a delay in service. We strongly suggest that you contact your airline at least 48 hours prior to travel to allow time for your requests to be fulfilled. We also recommend that travellers review their airline’s check-in, cut-off and boarding time requirements prior to arriving at the airport. Contact information for airlines serving Kamloops Airport is available on our Airline & Charter Service page.

Wheelchairs

Kamloops Airport is fully wheelchair accessible. Airlines operating out of the airport have wheelchairs available for passengers.

Washrooms

All washrooms at Kamloops Airport have a wheelchair accessible toilet. You will find them in the following areas:

• Check-In/Ticket Counters (family-style accessible washroom)
• Arrivals Area
• Departures Lounge

Designated Relieving Areas for Service Animals and Pets

Multiple relief areas for service animals and pets are provided at Kamloops Airport.

Prior to screening, the designated pet & service animal relief area is located directly outside the departures doors of the terminal building.

A second designated animal relief area is located after the screening checkpoint, within the departures lounge. Following posted signage, you’ll find the pet & service animal relief area adjacent to the washrooms. Waste disposal bags are provided, as well as a covered waste collection area.

Additional Information and Resources

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is a governmental agency that works to ensure federally regulated (air, rail, marine and inter-provincial bus) transportation services and facilities in Canada are accessible to persons with disabilities. The CTA website is a valuable resource for learning about air travel accessibility regulations and discovering helpful guides for accessible travel. One such guide, Take Charge of Your Travel, offers travel guidance in American Sign Language, text-to-speech, MP3 and PDF downloads, and more.

The Government of Canada’s Access to Travel website provides information on transportation between Canadian cities by air, rail, ferry and intercity bus, local transportation, the accessibility of airport terminals, provincial tourism and service standards. The website also features Tips for Travellers with Disabilities, an online tool that provides trip-planning information and resources.

For more information and guidance about accessible travel and the CTA’s dispute resolution services, please contact info@otc-cta.gc.ca.

The Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer (Bureau de la dirigeante principale de l’accessibilité) takes an active, engaged role in communicating accessibility challenges and solutions via social media in a variety of accessible formats. These communications can be found on official Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages. Check out our news post highlighting a series of videos shared by the Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer on 2024’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
https://kamloopsairport.com/news/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities/

Kamloops Airport Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process

At Kamloops airport, we’re constantly assessing and reassessing our facilities and practised procedures to ensure all our guests can access our facilities with ease. In the below list you’ll find a record of all previous iterations of the YKA Accessibility Plan.

• YKA Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process – 2024 (current)
• YKA Accessibility Plan – 2023
• YKA Accessibility Plan – 2020

2024-2027 Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process

Your Feedback Matters: Public Consultation on Kamloops Airport 2024-2027 Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process

Kamloops Airport has developed it’s 2024-2027 Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process to assist in meeting its requirements under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR). This Plan serves as a roadmap to help the Airport continue its commitment to become more accessible and inclusive.

In May of 2024, Kamloops Airport held a public consultation for it’s 2024-2027 Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process. This consultation resulted in a the development of additional accessible parking spaces, as well as a commitment to add descriptive language under images that appear in documents published by Kamloops Airport. You can review the outcome of this public consultation here.

Draft Accessibility Progress Report – April 2025

On April 3 2025, Kamloops Airport published a draft Accessibility Plan Progress Report to share with the community what steps we’ve taken to upholding the goals we outlined in 2024-2027 Accessibility Plan and Feedback Process. A survey regarding this draft plan was opened to the public from April 6th to 30th, from which the airport gathered feedback on the presentation and content of this draft plan.

Submit your feedback

Help us identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility at Kamloops Airport by sharing your feedback here. If you have any technical issues, or if you would like to review the Accessibility Plan and Feedback Process in an alternate format, please contact Tracy Brown using any of the above methods.