2023-06-16 17:26:32
In 2018, during a family vacation, Marc García was surprised by the strange looks and the lack of patience that the tourist staff had with his autistic son.
As executive director and president of the “Visit Mesa” tourism bureau in south-central Arizona, pledged upon his return to ensure that neurodiverse travelers visiting his city they had a better experience on their trip than he had with his family.
In fact, Traveling can be so stressful for neurodiverse people that 87% of families with autism do not go on vacation.according to a survey conducted by Autism Travel, a branch of the International Board for Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
The sensory overload involved in travel—including loud noises, dietary changes, and routine disruption—can cause discomfort and outbursts if not sympathetically managed and addressed.
But cities like Mesa are finally implementing the accessibility tools that allow everyone to enjoy, not just the neurotypicals.
As a starting point, García worked at his tourism office to obtain training and certifications from IBCCES, an organization that helps with professional training to work with people with cognitive disorders.
The goal is to be better equipped to interact with neurodiverse people in different settings.
I learn how to empathize
For businesses like hotels, restaurants, and attractions, this means front-facing staff are trained to understand what autism is, how to empathize with how autistic people experience the world, and how to communicate more effectively with them.
In 2020, one in 36 children was diagnosed with autism in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
And the World Health Organization estimates that one in 100 children have autism worldwide, a number that continues to rise year after year, making it the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the world.
In addition to sharing statistics and education about autism, the IBCCES training also provides practical guidance on ways to better accommodate people with neurodiversity.
“For example, some people are more visual learners, so we can offer them brochures, pamphlets and maps,” said Zoey Shircel of Visit Mesa, who is certified in autism travel.
Shircel says the training program also taught him that some people may need a little longer to absorb information, such as where an attraction is or what places to visit.
The training opened his eyes to how many travelers might have unseen challenges.
“Before I got certified, I wasn’t aware that people could have a hidden disability,” he said.
“But after the training, more people are open to talking about what they might need or what extra help we can give them, without fear or shame,” he added.
warning sunflowers
Mesa was the first city in the US to adopt the Sunflower program for hidden disabilities in 2021, introduced for the first time globally in the UK, and the tourist board and other attractions offer free sunflower-themed lanyards and bracelets to patrons. visitors.
The sunny symbol alerts tourism employees and other informed members of the community that this person or family might need extra help or some extra patience to visit a destination.
After seeing the success with certification at the tourism office, the entire city of Mesa understood the value of becoming more inclusive and went to work getting 80% of employees into public-facing positions – including park workers , police and fire departments – were trained to obtain certification from an official Certified Autism Center (CAC).
In November 2019, the city became the first Autism Certified City in the world, and other tourist boards and cities have begun to follow suit.
Many other tourist offices and destinations have or are currently working to become Certified Autism Centers such as Visalia, in California; High Point, in North Carolina; Palm Springs, in California; Toledo, in Ohio and also Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
But certification is far from a one-time set of requirements.
The program requires annual training and recertification to ensure employees stay up to date on the latest neuro-inclusive practices and tools.
At Mesa, more than 60 different businesses and organizations have completed training to become CACs.
Visitors can see the result of this at places like the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which provides a helpful guide to the sensory impact of different galleries, which can be accessed online or viewed at the entrance of each room.
For example, the guide rates Dinosaur Hall a five out of 10 for sound sensory stimulation, a three for sight, a two for touch, and just one for smell and taste.
Guides like this one help families plan the correct routes through the museum, as well as find designated quiet areas if overstimulation becomes a problem.
“Museums are special places where people come to learn, relax and make memories with friends and family,” said Alison Stoltman, deputy director of the institution.
“However, the highly stimulating atmospheres can be a barrier for some, limiting accessibility.”
To help, the museum recently held its first “soft sensory” event.
It opened early with limited tickets and the most exhilarating experiences were moderated.
“We had great feedback with numerous reports from families that this gentle experience opened up the possibility for their relatives to visit us,” Stoltman said.
For Jennifer Hedgepeth, event services coordinator at the Mesa Arts Center, the training was especially personal as she has a son with autism.
“A lot of the aspects of the training were things I already knew, but it was good to dig into some things,” he said.
“It’s also great to know that all my coworkers and the city of Mesa receive the same instruction.”
Although shows held at the Mesa Arts Center can vary in sensory stimulation, the center offers accommodations like weighted blankets and noise-cancelling headphones that can help during a performance, as well as quiet spaces in case someone needs a moment of rest.
“If you’re traveling to a foreign country and don’t speak the language, knowing that you have access to someone like an interpreter can help you in a better way,” Hedgepeth said.
“People who arrive should feel comfortable and safe,” he added.
Major League Baseball
Mesa is one of the largest spring training centers in the country for Major League Baseball, and several teams and their stadiums in Mesa have also earned certification.
Due to the outdoor setting, the predictable pace of your game, and the importance of statistics, baseball can be an attractive hobby, but stadiums and live games can sometimes be too stimulating for neurodiverse people.
To cheer on these fans, the Oakland Athletics became the first team to earn CAC certification in 2020 by training their staff at Hohokam Stadium, the team’s spring home in Mesa, where fans can watch games from late February through late March before the regular season begins.
Mesa also offers outdoor tourism, as it is a neighbor to the nearby Tonto National Forest.
Within the city limits, the Mesa Recreation and Park District (also CAC certified) offers a number of accessible outdoor activities, from “low risk” camping (where rangers provide a tent and teach camping skills and staying overnight without a problem), fishing training, and campfire burning marshmallow workshops.
To provide a way to interact with autism-friendly attractions and restaurants throughout the city, “Visit Mesa” has created the Autism GeoTour, ideal for families.
Allows visitors to discover hidden geocaches at CAC locations through the Geocaching app. If visitors unlock five or more on the tour, they can return to the Mesa Visitor Center for a special prize.
Although it has made great strides in accessibility, Mesa isn’t ready to slow down any time soon, a requirement to become the most accessible city in the country.
To that end, Mesa recently partnered with Aira, an on-demand visual interpretation service for people who are blind or have low vision.
The app allows visitors access to a trained agent who can help with trip planning, menu reading and other services.
In 2023, Mesa joined “Wheel the World,” a website that maps detailed accessibility information for destinations with photos and measurements (for example, see if a hotel has ramps in its entry spaces), so disabled visitors they can plan their trip more easily and find the most suitable hotels for their needs.
“Having information beforehand makes traveling a little less stressful,” Shircel said.
She hopes that every city in the world will eventually follow Mesa’s lead.
That way, travelers of all stripes can more fully enjoy any destination and enrich cross-cultural conversation in new, neuro-inclusive ways.
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BBC-NEWS-SRC: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-65754513, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-06-16 14:20:09
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