Dublin Airport to open sensory room to help reduce passengers’ anxiety

Dublin Airport will soon be a little more comfortable for passengers with special needs thanks to a brand new sensory room.

The room will give travellers a calm space away from the hustle and bustle of the airport when it opens later this month, Dublin Airport Authority has said. "We’re very excited about our new sensory room," a spokesperson for the DAA told The Irish Mirror. "It’s almost ready. Finishing touches are being applied and it will be officially opened in the two weeks' time." The airport shared a clip of the room on Twitter this week. It has soft lighting and features an aquatic bubble tube, mirrors and a disco ball.

Here’s a sneak peek at our new sensory room, coming soon. It’s fab. Stay tuned for details. #sensoryroom #sensoryplay pic.twitter.com/Rp1zoEJpdL

— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) October 10, 2019

Sensory rooms are spaces designed with different stimuli to engage the senses, reduce anxiety, create calm and encourage communication. They can benefit people who have learning difficulties, developmental disabilities, sensory impairments and brain conditions like dementia. Dublin Airport's sensory room follows the opening of one at Shannon Airport in 2017. The facility was the first of its kind in Europe. London Gatwick Airport followed suit, opening a sensory room in 2018.