SAT Accessibility Focus Group Wins Statewide Award
Published on October 07, 2026
SAN ANTONIO (October 7, 2026)— San Antonio International Airport’s (SAT) Accessibility Focus Group has been named a 2026 recipient of the Lex Frieden Employment Awards, receiving the Martha Arbuckle Award for its innovative approach to incorporating people with disabilities into the planning and design of the airport’s future Terminal C.
Presented by the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, the Martha Arbuckle Award recognizes bold, forward-thinking local initiatives driving meaningful change for the disability community. The award, presented in memory of Martha Arbuckle, an Austin trailblazing disability advocate, honors projects that demonstrate innovation, inclusion and impact and can serve as a model for other communities.
The Accessibility Focus Group brought together 35 community representatives, including 25 individuals with disabilities, people with lived experience or medical-service professionals, to help shape the passenger experience at Terminal C. Over a 10-month process, the group identified barriers and developed more than 160 recommendations spanning physical design, customer service, technology and airport operations.
“As a wheelchair user and person with significant disabilities, I was able to provide firsthand insight into the barriers travelers with disabilities face in airports,” said Miguel Castro, chair of the City of San Antonio’s Disability Access Advisory Committee (DAAC). “Throughout this process, we not only identified challenges but also shaped practical solutions to better serve our disability community. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the design process, and I’m impressed by the collaboration of the DAAC, Disability Access Office and San Antonio International Airport in creating a model that can elevate accessibility across airports nationwide.”
Importantly, the airport did not limit the group’s work to the future terminal. Recommendations that could be implemented immediately were incorporated into the Terminal A Expansion, which opened earlier this year, and existing airport operations, improving accessibility for passengers today while helping inform the design of Terminal C.
“With accessibility one of our core operational pillars, we’re committed to removing barriers so every traveler can navigate SAT with greater ease, independence and confidence,” said Tim O’Krongley, deputy aviation director, who led the airport’s work with the Accessibility Focus Group. “This partnership has helped us think differently about the passenger experience and will have lasting impacts on Terminal C and how we approach accessibility across the entire airport.”
The focus group’s work also provides a model that other airports, municipalities and organizations can replicate. The San Antonio approach emphasizes engaging people with disabilities at the beginning of a project, building a diverse community partnership, examining the complete customer experience, identifying solutions alongside barriers and maintaining the partnership throughout design, construction and operations.
The airport has shared its approach to engaging the disability community at national and international conferences, sharing the message of barrier-free with the goal of impacting how other airports approach the air travel experience for passengers with disabilities.
The 2026 Lex Frieden Employment Awards will be presented on October 21 in McKinney, Texas.