I could not find a specific thread with the topic of autism but a lot entries both in the forum and gallery, so I thought place where we can link these together in one spot could be nice. Sadly I missed to post on time but I think it still nice to read how the Zurich zoo tries to be inclusive. Zootag für Menschen mit Autismus | Zoo Zürich
Monkey Haven in the UK recently started a ‘quiet hour’ before opening. “Don’t forget we now offer ‘Quiet Hour’ sessions at Monkey Haven every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am-10am This is a time for people with hidden disabilities and additional needs to enjoy the sanctuary in very limited numbers. Further details can be found below and tickets can be purchased here: Monkey Haven Tickets, Products - Buy Online We look forward to welcoming you soon ” Log into Facebook
Also one article I have found a few weeks ago but forgot to mention Jersey Zoo becomes the first zoo in the UK and Europe to be Certified Sensory Inclusive | Durrell
In America we have the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to help with certain challenges in public areas. Kulture City is the leading sensory awareness group for Museums, Zoos, Aquariums, and Sports Arenas. From what I’ve seen and heard quite a few AZA facilities are encouraged to work with Kulture City and many do. For my job we had to get new training for Kulture City so it works a bit like this: they encourage employees to pay attention to make sure all guests are ok and to act if any guests have issues. If a guest does have an issue we are supposed to radio to registered education staff and use nearby stimuli bags to help calm down the guests. We also have select areas where guests can go to avoid stimuli. Overall it’s a good program and works quite well. Kulture City is a great organization and does an amazing job with their work.
I was surprised to find, while looking at the KultureCity website, that they have very little presence outside of zoos and related organizations. My experiences with their stuff at zoos has also been very hit-or-miss. Lots of "quiet areas" in, or next to, busier areas, for example, rather than separate. Employees who don't know where the quiet areas are, etc. Did you not have to do any actual classes or training, like they imply on their website? I'm also curious to know if they headphones in the bags will fit adults, or are just for children.
If you go to the website they actually have a map with all accredited locations across the US. They are mostly found in zoos and aquariums but also most major sports stadiums. Starting off with the quiet areas they are meant to be near more crowded areas in case of an issue not in anticipation of one. The idea is if someone has a problem in normally crowded areas they can quickly get to those quiet areas. Employees knowing where the quiet places are is purely the job of the institution, not Kulture city. It also may depend on which employees you ask, you might have a better time if you ask security staff or information desk staff. For us we did an online class with a test at the end to make sure we fully understood the program. I don’t know what happens if you repeatedly fail the test but I would assume you would just continue to retake the class. Im not quite sure about the headphones. I haven’t actually had to open one up yet so I haven’t seen one on someone’s head before. When I come back from my trip I’ll try to check one of the bags to see but I don’t think I can if it’s not necessary.
I know about the website, that's what I just said... Yes, but they should be *quiet*. One area at the Bronx is literally just some benches on the main pathway, where people like to sit with their screaming kids. An area at another zoo is a small rectangle of privacy fence in a busy area, like it's a dog run or something (with those awful puzzle pieces on the sign, too). I know it's the job of the place to ultimately follow up, I'm saying a lot of them don't do that, and seem to be using it to make themselves look like they're doing something when they aren't. How often do you see security at a zoo? If I have to go all the way to the info desk, I might as well go to my car, since they're usually at the entrance. The main example I have in mind, she was someone who sounded like she would remember if she had ever been given that information; she was in charge of a walk-through area and let me stay in while she was on her break, to create an impromptu quiet area for me (eternally grateful to her!) I've thought about asking for a bag before, but every time I've gone up to the counter, there's only been one or two bags out, and I don't want to take one from someone who isn't as capable at managing their stressors as I am. I recently ordered several sets of headphones, waiting for them to come in the mail to figure out which I like best. Finding any for adults was difficult, I had to look at ones for people who shoot guns.
Bit random but if you don’t mind things actually in your ears then in ear shooting protection can be picked up pretty cheaply - my nephew is autistic and used in ear defenders I was issued with when I was serving, he preferred them to the over ear sort (though it’s individual) and they are easy to stuff in a pocket and relatively cheap to replace if they fall out and they fit all sorts of ears. He still buys them. 3M make them - “3M™ Combat Arms™ Earplugs” and smaller foam plugs too. They’re sold all over the place example link below Genuine Army Issue 3M Combat Arms Defenders Earplugs Clay Shooting (All Sizes) | eBay
My ears seem to be a weird shape and don't hold in-ear things well, but it might be worth looking at those, too Thanks for the suggestion!
In relation to zoos: here is Brookfield Zoo's accessibility page, and here is information on Brookfield Zoo's accessibility information guide. They at one point said they were one of the first (zoological) facilities in the country with such programs and accommodations. When we visited with my nonverbal brother in 2017, the headphones and id bracelet from the kit were a huge help. It's a nice memory because as a kid he did not enjoy zoo visits but we all had a good time as a family including him. It was the first time he'd actually accepted headphones, which had previously been a problem, and since then they have been fairly regular for him.
Woodland Park Zoo has a few sensory considerations "See our Sensory Map as a guide to areas of the zoo which tend to be quiet and less crowded, are shady and cool, or have space to move and interpretive objects to touch. We also have a Social Story for Zoomazium, our indoor play space, which may help guests with sensory needs know what to expect. You can borrow sensory tools (fidgets, noise-cancelling headphones, weighted lap blankets, pin-wheels, etc.) at Zoomazium and both Guest Services. Available on a first-come first-served basis, simply ask a staff member to check out an item. When leaving the zoo, return items to Zoomazium or either Guest Services location. Fridays in Zoomazium are “Sensory-friendly Fridays.” On Fridays the Strangler Fig tree is closed to create a quieter and more comfortable environment for children with sensory sensitivities and their families. Soothing, exploratory sensory activities are also provided to support language development, motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interactions. For guests who are sensitive to noise, the best months to visit are during the off-season (October – April) when there are fewer guests. In the spring or summer, arrive at opening (9:30 a.m.) or after 3:00 p.m. when the zoo is less crowded (peak crowds are around midday, especially on weekends). Some areas to avoid if crowds and noise are overstimulating include: • Willawong Station: indoor space with lots of movement and noise • 1899 Grove: indoors can be crowded and loud; outdoor areas are usually calmer. Other food areas are typically less busy. • Historic Carousel: indoor area with music, clanging bells, lights and crowd noise • Humboldt penguins: especially noisy during feeding time programs https://www.zoo.org/document.doc?id=23
I don't know if this would really count, as it's mainly accessibility for volunteers, but I'll put it here anyways. Toledo Zoo actually has a thing for it's disabled volunteers. It's called ADAPT. Now, I honestly forgot what it stands for, but I'll say this. As someone who is in it and currently trying to move away from it.... Yeah, it's not the greatest for me. Not saying that it can't work for some folks, but it definetely is a no go for me. And basically all it is is having something called a peer support partner. Basically another volunteer or sometimes education staff who would go along with you for your shifts. And, I'll say this. Alot of the shifts are not meant for more than 1 person. Except for maybe the touch tanks and the biofacts. But thats it. So either one of you have to leave the other one ( or two in some cases ) out and feel terrible afterwards, or you have to try to make it work and it just becomes very awkward. And sometimes the peer support partner your buddied up with doesn't have the same amount of training as you do, so if you like doing a certain shift that requires training before and the other person doesn't have it, your stuck doing something that you wouldn't of wanted to do that day. And it's not like you don't get the accessibility without ADAPT either. Which, for me, makes the entire thing feel like a glorified babysitting service on my end. Again, I'm not saying that this can't work for some people. But for me, it's like a retractable leash. And I can't just go: " Hey, I'm not interested in ADAPT anymore. " and they'll no longer consider me apart of it. No. I have to go through a process to prove that I'm ready? Like, no. I don't want a long and complicated process just to become an " independant ADAPT teen ", I just want to go. And what makes this worse is that when you're in ADAPT, they won't let you go to somewhere on grounds entirely alone if you're in ADAPT ( but they'll let everyone else will, but I think this goes for the independants as well? ). Oh yeah, and did I forget to mention that the zoo has an accessibility app? Made by a company whos worked with Autism Speaks before? Don't get me wrong, I love my job, it's just that I wish the accessibility was better.
After the conversation in the Denver Zoo thread today, I decided to do some more research on which zoos have which certifications or partnerships. As autistic organizations tend to be very controversial and since it is fairly recent zoos have put forth an effort into this area, I thought it might be useful/helpful to take a look. KultureCity Sensory Inclusive - Lincoln Park Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, Potawatomi Zoo, Cosley Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Baton Rouge Zoo, Birmingham Zoo, Lehigh Valley Zoo, Peoria Zoo, Lincoln Children's Zoo, Virginia Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Louisville Zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Sacramento Zoo, Racine Zoo, Akron Zoo, Audubon zoo, Detroit Zoo, Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, Rolling Hills Zoo, Oklahoma City Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Binder Park Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Maryland Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Dakota Zoo, North Carolina Zoo, Lake Superior Zoo, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Staten Island Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, Brevard Zoo, Potter Park Zoo, Hattiesburg Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Greenville Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, John Ball Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Memphis Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Henry Vilas Zoo, Zoo Knoxville, Miller Park Zoo, Jersey Zoo ""Certified"" Autism Centers (The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards) -- Denver Zoo, The Living Desert Zoo And Gardens, Fort Worth Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, Elmwood Park Zoo, Ripler's Aquarium of Canada, Zoo Miami, Zoo Montana Autism Speaks (partnership in 2013 for Go Blue) - Abilene Zoological Gardens, Aquarium of the Bay, Audubon Nature Institute, Bergen County Zoological Park, Binder Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Central Park Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society) , Brookfield Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Detroit Zoological Society, Dickerson Park Zoo, Franklin Park Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, Kansas City Zoo, Lincoln Children's Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Mystic Aquarium, Oakland Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Sacramento Zoo, Seneca Park Zoo, Zoo Tampa, Hogle Zoo
I've been including the first two in my descriptions in my facilities thread. I didn't know about the third thing, that is all sorts of yikes.
If it is of help or insight, this is the AZA press release about the event; from what I can tell, it looks at least like the primary service that was facilitated by that organization has since been succeeded by KultureCity's sensory bags.
I hope so. Autism Speaks is a hate organization, and their "go blue" nonsense is complete BS that contributes to women and girls being under-diagnosed because their symptoms often aren't the same.
I’ve heard of the first and the third groups, and the reputation of a certain one, but could you talk about that second one, the Autism Centers?
Well, shoot. Brookfield is my top zoo and Georgia is my top aquarium. That's unfortunate. Was the partnership just for the Go Blue event or is it ongoing?
Certified Autism Centers are what IBCCES calls their approved facilities. The organization has a favorable opinion of that certain one. The support ABA and have a long list of certified ABA facilities. Their board of 19 people has just one autistic person, and he's very problematic - instead of saying he was diagnosed with autism they say he was "diagnosed with strong autistic tendencies and Atypical Development", he's on the board and/or president of several Asperger's/high functioning associations, etc. Places that have been certified by IBCCES tend to LOVE puzzle pieces.
I know this is an old comment, but while a certain part of the staff has to go through training (which I did), it's mostly just sensitivity/saying the right things/bare-minimum "being nice" trainings. It's very general, just videos made by KultureCity. It's a good thing, I think, but I was never told where our quiet areas are, and I'm not even 100% sure I know where we have our bags (probably the gift shop, because that's where we have lots of things, but I don't know that for sure). Maybe that's a me problem but if the training didn't stress it to the point where I know it, maybe it's a little defective. There is training, basically, but it's not very involved honestly. I think the quiet areas should be near busy areas, but have appropriate sound dampening so it's actually a quiet area.
