Accessibility Advisory Committee
Meet the team that makes up YYC's Accessibility Advisory Committee, bringing lived and professional expertise to support a more accessible and inclusive airport for everyone.
The committee plays a key role in advancing YYC's accessibility journey, providing guidance and feedback to help shape spaces, services and experiences across the airport. Their work helps identify and address barriers in meaningful, practical ways.
Meet Our Accessibility Advisory Committee
The committee is made up of advocates, professionals and community members who bring diverse perspectives and deep expertise in accessibility and inclusion. Together, they help ensure the voices of people with disabilities and diverse abilities are reflected in how we plan and deliver our services.
Lived experience advisors bring experience across areas such as universal design, accessibility research, policy development, mental health, adaptive sport, caregiving and inclusive service design—helping inform more intuitive, welcoming and supportive experiences for all travellers.
Rick Goodfellow
Rick Goodfellow is a long‑time disability advocate, accessibility consultant, and advisor with more than three decades of lived and professional experience in advancing inclusion. A wheelchair user since 1981, Rick has worked as a CEO, consultant, and policy advisor within the non‑profit and government sectors, focusing on accessibility in the built environment, transportation, and programs and services. He is the owner and operator of Barrier Free by Design and has extensive experience in universal design, accessibility audits, policy development, and accessibility standards. Rick has served in numerous local, regional, national, and international advisory and governance roles, including long‑standing involvement with the Calgary Airport's Accessibility Advisory Committee, bringing a strong focus on identifying barriers and translating lived experience into practical, accountable solutions.
Mena Hassan
Mena Hassan brings a blend of lived experience and research‑driven insight to accessibility, shaped by her academic background in urban studies, architectural studies, and sustainability, as well as her work with Calgary Airports. As a Research Assistant with the University of Calgary's Accessible Mapping Research Lab, she supports accessibility‑focused research through spatial analysis, user‑centered design, and evidence‑based evaluation, while her airport experience strengthened her skills in policy development, service delivery improvements, and understanding of how travellers with diverse needs navigate complex public environments. Her experience informs her commitment to designing spaces that foster independence, intuitive wayfinding, and meaningful social interaction, particularly within multi‑use public settings.
Jason Arbib
Jason Arbib brings meaningful lived experience with cerebral palsy and community advocacy to the committee, informed by his independent travel, participation in adaptive sports, and day‑to‑day navigation of public spaces. He has successfully engaged with municipal leadership in Okotoks to advance accessible pathways and infrastructure and brings firsthand insight into transportation, recreation, and built‑environment accessibility. As an active athlete in sledge hockey, mono‑skiing, and hand cycling, Jason contributes a practical, user‑focused perspective, with particular strength in identifying physical and communication barriers and supporting co‑designed solutions.
Melanie Arbib
Melanie Arbib is a long‑time disability advocate with over 18 years of experience advancing barrier‑free and inclusive communities. Her work includes service on the Okotoks Accessibility Committee, leadership in expanding inclusive skating programs across Alberta, and sustained advocacy informed by caregiving experience. Melanie brings professional experience in long‑term care leadership, dementia care, and nonprofit governance, including an MBA industry project focused on inclusive employment and disability advocacy. She contributes a holistic, systems‑level perspective on accessibility across programs, services, policies, and attitudes.
Topher Lawrence
Topher Lawrence brings both lived and professional expertise focused on non‑apparent disabilities, including mental health and psychological safety in complex public environments. He brings lived experience with anxiety and flight‑related stress, offering direct insight into how noise, crowds, time pressure, unclear processes, and anxiety‑related barriers—including fear of flying—can create significant accessibility challenges, particularly in airport settings. Professionally, Topher is a Master‑level executive and organizational coach working with the Department of National Defense. He contributes strong expertise in programs and services, communication, and inclusive service design, with a focus on dignity, predictability, and emotionally supportive environments.
Sharna Batey
Sharna Batey brings a combined lens of lived experience, caregiving, and professional expertise to accessibility work. Living with physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges and supporting neurodivergent family members, she offers strong insight into sensory, communication, fatigue, and attitudinal barriers. Professionally, Sharna has worked in engineering and technical consulting environments related to public infrastructure and transportation systems and holds an MBA and CAPM designation. She contributes a thoughtful, integrated perspective on the built environment, transportation, technology, and programs and services, with a strong focus on inclusive planning and organizational change.
Leanne Squair
Leanne Squair is a nationally recognized accessibility leader with decades of experience in disability policy, advocacy, and barrier-free design. Awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, she has worked extensively on accessible housing, transportation, and built-environment standards, including through a long career with The City of Calgary. Leanne has advised on national accessibility standards through her involvement with the Rick Hansen Foundation and has supported accessibility initiatives at Calgary International Airport for nearly 15 years. She brings deep expertise in the built environment, transportation, programs and services, and communication accessibility, grounded in cross-disability and systems-level experience.