Ellie Middleton, a 28-year-old autistic and ADHD content creator, has raised concerns about accessibility at Manchester Airport after she says she was directed away from the airport’s assisted security lane during a journey through Terminal 2. The incident occurred on Sunday, June 21, as she was travelling with her boyfriend to Pula, Croatia.
Incident at security
Middleton was wearing a sunflower lanyard and carrying a Nimbus access card when she approached security staff and requested use of the assisted lane due to her disability-related needs. She said she was already struggling following last-minute changes to her travel plans. “I was already having a really difficult day. I could feel I was close to having a meltdown. I could sense I wasn’t going to cope in the normal lanes,” she said.
Staff directed her to the standard security queue instead, telling her it would be quicker than the assisted lane. “We were told no, and they said the access lane had a really long queue and it would be quicker for us to go through the normal lanes,” Middleton said. Once in the main queue, she said the situation did not reflect what she had been told. “There was practically nobody in the access lane, and a big queue in the normal lanes,” she added.
Distress and lack of support
While waiting, Middleton said she became increasingly distressed. “I started to have an autistic shutdown/meltdown, crying, hyperventilating, getting really upset,” she said. Her boyfriend approached staff to request assistance, but she said they were told they had to remain in the queue. “One staff member blanked us completely, and another told us we had to stay in the queue,” Middleton said.
She described airport security as a particularly challenging environment for disabled passengers, citing noise, lighting and crowding. “It’s a stressful, rushed, high-intensity environment. It can trigger sensory overload; bright lights, lots of overlapping conversations and noise and it feels claustrophobic,” she said. She added that the sunflower lanyard scheme is intended to support a wide range of hidden disabilities. “It represents any hidden disability, someone who is blind or deaf, chronically ill, or someone who can’t stand for long periods. There’s a huge range of needs that lanyard represents,” she said.
Impact and call for change
Middleton said the experience left her exhausted and affected the rest of her journey. “Having that moment of distress in the queue left me really drained and made the rest of the travel day much harder,” she said. She also warned that similar situations could have more serious consequences for other passengers. “For a lot of other people, it could end up far worse, that could put them at real risk in airport security,” she added.
Middleton called for clearer and more consistent communication around accessibility policies. “It’s not right that Manchester Airport Group get to decide who is and isn’t disabled enough to need support. We’re the only ones who truly know our own experience,” she said. She also criticised signage in the terminal, describing it as unclear. “It’s ‘any lane' but the arrow points towards the normal lanes, with the accessibility lane at the other side of the sign,” she said.
Airport response
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport Group issued the following full statement: “At Manchester Airport we are committed to providing a seamless experience for all customers, particularly those who may need a little extra support. Sunflower lanyard wearers have access to our Family and Assisted Travel Route at security on departure, as well as the Assisted route at the UK Border on arrival into Manchester Airport. They are also welcome to use any other security lane, depending on which route they find most convenient on the day they are travelling. All our security colleagues are trained to be able to offer additional support to any passenger wearing a Sunflower lanyard. We are in contact with the passenger in question to discuss this matter and ensure these arrangements are as clear as they can be.”
