IBCCES and Plaza Premium Group Partner to Expand Global Accessibility in Airport Hospitality

BCCES, the global leader in autism, announces a strategic global partnership with PPG, the world’s largest independent airport lounge in airport hospitality.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, May 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), the global leader in autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility training and certification for professionals, announces a strategic global partnership with Plaza Premium Group (PPG), the world’s largest independent airport lounge network and leader in integrated airport hospitality.

Together, IBCCES and PPG are raising the bar for accessibility in airports by equipping frontline staff to better support passengers with hidden disabilities, sensory sensitivities, and mobility challenges. This new collaboration reinforces both organizations’ commitment to inclusive travel and meaningful, results-driven change across the global aviation sector.

Through this partnership:
• Over 3,000 PPG frontline team members will undergo IBCCES training and certification, beginning with key markets such as Hong Kong, Canada, Malaysia, the UK, and Italy.
• IBCCES will conduct on-site accessibility audits in select lounges to help optimize experiences for passengers with sensory and physical accessibility needs.
• Up to 200 PPG business units, including lounges, dining outlets, hotels, and passenger service areas, will be listed in the IBCCES Accessibility App—a globally recognized tool used by millions of individuals and families with accessibility needs.

“Our mission is to ensure accessibility is woven into every step of the travel journey—not treated as an afterthought,” says Myron Pincomb, board chairman of IBCCES. “Partnering with a global leader like Plaza Premium Group allows us to accelerate that mission and drive cultural change within the travel industry on a global scale. This is about creating real, sustainable impact for millions of travelers around the world.”

PPG’s commitment to inclusivity is further demonstrated by its plans to introduce IBCCES to its broader network of airport and airline partners—amplifying the reach of this initiative and reinforcing the importance of creating welcoming environments for all travelers.

“We are excited to partner with IBCCES to further our mission of providing inclusive and exceptional hospitality experiences,” says Bora Isbulan, deputy CEO of Plaza Premium Group. “This collaboration aligns with our commitment to ensuring that all travelers feel welcome and supported throughout their journey, making travel better for all.”

This partnership marks a major milestone in transforming the airport experience through targeted training, improved standards, and technology. As accessibility expectations continue to rise, IBCCES remains dedicated to helping global partners turn intention into action—delivering not just compliance, but also compassion, consistency, and confidence.
IBCCES has been the leading authority in cognitive difference training and certification for over 20 years. Working with experts and self-advocates, the organization develops evidence-based programs for industries ranging from healthcare to hospitality. In addition to certification, IBCCES offers resources such as CertifiedAutismCenter.com and AutismTravel.com, where families can explore listings of certified locations and connect with supportive services.

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About Plaza Premium Group
Plaza Premium Group (PPG) is the global leader in integrated airport hospitality and passenger service solutions, operating the largest network of airport lounges worldwide and offering a 360-degree airport hospitality experience with 14 brands under its portfolio, operating in 150 countries across 600 international and domestic airports and serving 24 million passengers annually. With a mission to Make Travel Better, the group introduced the world's first independent airport lounge concept in 1998. Plaza Premium Lounge, Plaza Premium First - award-winning airport lounges, Aerotel - the world’s largest airport transit hotel chain, Refreshhh by Aerotel, ALLWAYS - airport passenger services, airport dining concepts, Smart Traveller - innovative digital experience and rewards platform, and One Travel Experience Ecosystem (oneTECO), the group is at the forefront of transforming airport experiences for the better through innovative and human-led solutions. PPG’s commitment extends beyond its brands, as it also provides lounge management and hospitality solutions to leading airlines, alliances, and corporations worldwide. Partnerships include renowned names such as American Express, Capital One, Cathay Pacific Airways, Saudia, SkyTeam, Star Alliance, Visa, and many more. Plaza Premium Group has over 100 accolades, demonstrating its exceptional achievements and commitment to service excellence. Notably, the group has received the prestigious "World's Best Independent Airport Lounge" award at the World Airline Awards by Skytrax for eight consecutive years from 2016 to 2024. With a team of over 6,000 dedicated professionals worldwide, and through a continuous pursuit of innovation and excellence, the group is experiencing exponential growth globally.

About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity,
and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower
professionals to be leaders in their field and improve the outcomes for the individuals they
serve. For over two decades, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in
autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 111 countries and provides
training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading
benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and
organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified
City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and
safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that
ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality and entertainment organizations have completed
an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification and IBCCES facilities review process.
The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification
for the public safety, education, healthcare and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and CertifiedAutismCenter.com
– free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified
locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.

Myron Pincomb
IBCCES
+ 1 904 608 0493
email us here
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