Can you be an air traffic controller with a disability?

Other than serious hearing or sight issues, physical disabilities shouldn't be a problem. Mental disabilities are, however, most likely a deal-breaker. I've worked with controllers with MD, dwarfism, and other physical disabilities, who worked just as well as any other controller.



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Moreover, the position of the air traffic controller requires some of the strictest medical and mental requirements for any profession in the world; conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, and many psychiatric disorders (e.g., clinical depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, a history of drug abuse) almost ...

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What are the medical requirements for professional pilots and air traffic controllers? To become a professional pilot or an air traffic controller, an applicant must be in good health (including good hearing, good vision and good colour perception).

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The work can be high-stress and sometimes boring. Being an air traffic controller can be stressful due to the heavy workload and high-consequence environment, however, the job can also be dull and boring depending on how busy the skies are.

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Fortunately, for most professional pilots and Air Traffic Control officers, such events are uncommon but when they do occur it is important appropriate action is taken to ensure flight safety is not compromised and for the benefit of the individual(s) involved.

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The highly logical and organized Introverted-Sensing-Thinking-Judging (ISTJ) Myers-Briggs test type is often a good fit for this career.

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Although air traffic controllers may not get free flights like flight attendants do, they still have attractive employee benefits. For example, their employers often give them permanent discounts which they can use to buy tickets and other products that the airport or a specific airline carries.

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Air traffic control is a fast-paced job that requires a mathematics background. The required math knowledge includes geometry and calculus.

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This shows that most pilots may have less worry about their financial problems and therefore less stress. In conclusion, the ATC position is more stressful than being a pilot because they have larger responsibility to control lives in the air and on the ground in same time.

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Air traffic controllers get paid six-figure salaries because the nature of their work is stressful, exhausting, and leaves no room for error. While there are various routes to become one, air traffic controllers have to undergo lots of training as the safety of the aircrew and passengers is on the line.

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On average we need to assess 3,300 applicants to find 15 Controllers that will validate to work on live airspace. 0.5% of applicants are successful.

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According to ICAO, “Pilots, air traffic controllers and aeronautical station operators involved in international operations are required to attain the ability to speak and understand English to a level 4 proficiency of ICAO's language proficiency rating scale.”

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