In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Sara Barsel, a retired research scientist, educator, and longtime dementia advocate who leads the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group and the Roseville Alzheimer’s and Dementia Community Action Team in Minnesota.

Sara shares how a single email about dementia-friendly airports in Australia sparked a grassroots effort to improve travel experiences for people living with dementia and their care partners. What began as a local initiative at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport has grown into broader work helping airports better understand and accommodate travelers with cognitive impairment and other hidden disabilities.

Together, Emily and Sara explore the challenges airports present for people with dementia, from navigating crowded terminals and security screenings to managing anxiety and the risk of getting lost, while highlighting practical planning strategies and resources such as TSA Cares, airport accessibility services, and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program.

About this episode’s featured guest

Sara Barsel is a retired research scientist, educator, and volunteer dementia advocate with more than a decade of experience working to improve resources for people living with dementia and their care partners. She is the founder and lead of the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group and a leader of the Roseville Alzheimer’s and Dementia Community Action Team in Minnesota. Through her advocacy, Sara has helped bring together community organizations, researchers, and airport leaders to better understand the challenges travelers with dementia face and develop practical tools, resources, and training programs to improve accessibility in airports.

About Remo’s host Dr. Emily Silverman

Dr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.

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