For some, going to the zoo can be just too much. That’s why this summer the Sacramento Zoo partnered with a nonprofit and medical professionals to make the space more accessible to sensory sensitive individuals that live with autism, dementia, PTSD and similar conditions.
On Wednesday, the Oregon Zoo announced that it is now a certified sensory-inclusive facility. That means it will be a more welcoming place for families who have kids with autism or other sensory-sensitive conditions.
Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.
