Community Corner

Kulture City To Team Up With Zoo

The goal is to help autistic people and others with sensory needs enjoy the Roger Williams Park Zoo.

From Roger Williams Park Zoo: Roger Williams Park Zoo will host a 9:00 am press conference on Tuesday, May 22 in the Admissions Plaza to announce its collaboration with Kulture City. Kulture City (of Birmingham, Alabama) is an organization that works with venues to create acceptance and inclusion for all individuals with unique abilities. The collaboration represents the zoo’s commitment to providing sensory inclusive experiences for individuals with autism and other sensory needs.

Dr. Jeremy Goodman, executive director of Roger Williams Park Zoo says, “collaborating with Kulture City ensures that everyone, no matter who they are, will have daily accessibility to the Zoo in an inclusive environment. All our staff are trained to understand and respond to those with sensory needs as a result of the online training Kulture City designed.”

As part of the initiative, the Zoo is establishing quiet spaces, and providing "sensory bags” containing noise-canceling headphones, "fidget toys" and other items. Additionally, the Zoo has already announced that it will offer sensory-friendly mornings on the first Tuesday of each month between April and August at Hasbro’sOur Big Backyard. From 9 – 10 am, families of child(ren) with sensory sensitivities may enjoy an hour of nature play including the opportunity to build mud pies, watch boats float downstream, climb high in a treehouse, and spend time playing in nature. The hour is limited to just 70 participants and access is granted on a first-come, first-served basis with pre-registration strongly recommended.

In 2017, Carousel Village began offering Sensory Friendly Days for the first Tuesday of each month, April - August. Anyone with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and sensory processing differences may explore and enjoy the Carousel Village. For maximum comfort, there will be no music or indoor lights. The Carousel, bounce house and playground will be open to the public, as well as train and pony rides (weather permitting). For additional information visit here.

Roger Williams Park Zoo staff as well as representatives from Kulture City and a mother whose two children enjoyed summer camp in 2017 and are on the autism spectrum will join the press conference.

Roger Williams Park Zoo, one of the oldest in the nation, is Rhode Island’s number one outdoor family and tourist attraction and a leader in conservation efforts undertaken by a zoo of its size. The Zoo has received numerous awards for environmental education, and conservation work done locally and around the world, caring for species that without human intervention would face certain extinction. Roger Williams Park Zoo is supported and managed by the Rhode Island Zoological Society and is owned by the City of Providence.

Image courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo

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