Everyone's Invited Including People with Disabilities

WITH LAURA GRUNFELD

ONE SENSORY SOLUTION

There are so many things to consider when working to make your event as accessible as possible. Often times we just don’t have the budget to do everything our heart desires. Consequently, we have to come up with less expensive solutions to some of our accessibility challenges.

Today I am sharing with you a simple, low-cost option for providing a calming space for people who may find themselves over-stimulated at your event. Establishing places where people can escape from the noise, lights, and crowds is very helpful to our patrons with sensory sensitivities. This might include children or adults who have Autism or who are on the spectrum, people with post-traumatic stress syndrome, people who experience anxiety, people with a brain injury, and so many others.

At an event my Access Team was working last fall, we divided the back half of our 20’ x 20’ Access Center tent into two enclosed 10’ x 10’ areas, separated by pipe and drape. With the help of the Décor Department, one area was decked out with a plush deep pile rug and throw pillows. As a side note, the other area was reserved for moms who wanted some privacy while they were nursing or pumping.

With a few dollars and a bit of time, we made some sensory bottles as calming tools for our patrons. Watching things float about in the bottle can help ground a person and ease anxiety. Instructions for making sensory bottles are available on YouTube and elsewhere on the interwebs. You could also provide a few fidget devices, as they are also calming.

The tent did not block out the sound although it did muffle it to some degree. We provided ear plugs to anyone who wanted them. On our Access Information page, we invited patrons to bring their own noise-canceling headphones if they so wished.

We offered drinking water to everyone as they entered. If someone was alone in the calming space, we made sure to leave the drape open a bit so that we could monitor the person and make sure they were okay, while still maintaining their privacy from other patrons.

While we didn’t have any available, bean bag chairs would have been a nice touch. There are various improvements that could have been made to the calming space but even a space as simple as we were able to offer is very helpful.

Not only was the area used as a calming space, but others found it helpful as well. A family whose daughter had a heart condition used the space to get away from the crowds and slow the daughter’s heart rate when it became too elevated. A gentleman became too inebriated and made his way to the Access Center. We gave him water and he napped on the rug. When he woke up, he felt much better. Another person was so intoxicated that we called the Medical Team. We sat with him in the calming space until the medics arrived. A group of friends, one of whom was having a panic attack, took refuge in the calming room until she felt better. Others experiencing panic attacks or having anxiety used the space.

At another event I worked some years ago, one that was geared towards families, we found a quiet corner of the site and erected a large round tent on the lawn. Inside we placed bean bag chairs and put in some stuffed toys. Parents with kids who have Autism or were on the spectrum, found the darker, quieter space very calming.

Those with a more robust budget might find assistance from an organization like KultureCity.org. They specialize in helping accommodate people with sensory processing needs. A Kulture City video, available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCVPo- VdpFUA, says that “One in six individuals… have a sensory need, making this population the fastest growing demographic in the United States.”

This is a simple and easily accomplished accommodation that can be very helpful to your patrons. Make sure to let people know you have the calming space by noting it in your Access Guide and with signage at your Access Center.

Everyone’s Invited, LLC, founded by Laura Grunfeld, is winner of the gold level “Best Accessibility Program,” for the 2018 and 2019 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards. Laura writes a regular column helping producers make their events accessible to people with disabilities. She has worked many festivals across the nation and readers can learn more about her event accessibility consulting, training, and production company at www.EveryonesInvited.com and www.linkedin.com/in/lauragrunfeld. Suggest topics or ask questions by writing to Laura@EveryonesInvited.com. © Laura Grunfeld, Everyone’s Invited, LLC, January 2022.

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