Advocating For Sensory Safe Spaces At Local Events In Kawartha Lakes
Making Kawartha Lakes a more accessible, supportive, and welcoming place for people with autism — and the people who love them.
Are you wondering What Is a Sensory Safe Space? Click HERE to read the blog.
Bridging Gaps In The Community
Autism Resources Kawartha (ARK) is a local autism advocacy and awareness group committed to creating helpful, relatable content for you: the parents, caregivers and loved ones of people with autism. We’re also passionate about making Kawartha Lakes and the surrounding areas more accessible, supportive and welcoming for people with autism and the people who care for them. Part of that work has led us to collaborating with local organizations and events to create sensory safe places that are autism-friendly.
Making Events Accessible For People With Autism
For many autistic people, public events can feel overwhelming and even unsafe. They are crowded, loud, and overstimulating—the perfect storm. As a result, autistic people and the people who care for them will often choose not to go, missing out on opportunities for fun, connection and growth.
ARK believes that local events should be accessible to everyone, including people with autism. And, with planning and some simple accommodations, they can be. That’s why ARK is proud to advocate and work with local businesses and organizations to provide sensory safe spaces at their events.
Sensory Safe Spaces: A Simple Solution
A sensory safe space (sometimes called a “sensory room” or a “low sensory room”) is exactly what it sounds like: a room or space at an event where the lights, sounds, and energy are controlled and kept at a level more suited to sensitive people, like people with autism. It is a safe haven. A place where autistic people can go to regulate and find their feet when an event is just too much. Most importantly, a sensory safe space makes attending an event possible for autistic people and their parents, friends or loved ones.
Sensory safe spaces may include:
Low lighting and low or no music to set the tone
Carpets, plush seating or floor cushions for people to sit or lay on
Fidgets and other sensory activities for regulation
Air conditioning to cool down or heating to warm up
A closed door or curtain to create a barrier between the sensory space and the main event
Volunteers to welcome people into the space and answer questions
To learn more about autism and sensory issues, visit our blog or get in touch. Someone from ARK will be happy to answer your questions and point you to the right resource.
Local Partners + ARK: Creating Sensory Safe Spaces At Local Events
ARK has collaborated with the organizers of local events — big and small — to help them make their spaces more accessible to the autistic community by creating sensory-safe areas.
Committed to making local Kawartha Lakes events accessible to the autistic community.
Are you planning an event in Kawartha Lakes or the surrounding area? We want to help you make it safe, supportive and enjoyable for everyone—including children and adults with autism.
Talk to us about creating a sensory safe space at your event and show the autistic community and the people who care for them that you are committed to including them, too.