Decades ago, when airplane travel was still novel, Continental Airlines offered trial flights out of Chicago to help people become comfortable flying in a jet. They must have been very cheap (because my family participated!), and we took off, circled the city, and landed — just enough to eliminate the fears about the unknown experience.
I thought of this when I was in the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) airport which advertises a program to help people with autism or disabilities practice the many steps involved in flying. Traveling involves many challenging and airport-specific experiences and the MSP program allows people to become comfortable in a controlled setting before the actual flight.
While I thought it odd that they promote this program in the airport, when presumably people have already gone through security and booked their flight, it’s a great idea to help alleviate fears and hesitations that could keep people from traveling.
Is there a way you can simulate experiences that may be frightening for some of your clientele? For example, what a mammogram may look like, the closing process when buying a house, donating blood, or seeing a mental health counselor. Help remove the hesitation that may be there because of being afraid, rather than because of insurmountable barriers.
